Fall contains so many great things!  Pumpkins, the leaves changing, and cooler weather.  Comfort foods abound and the smell of a fire in the air.  Plus there’s all the fab holidays and reasons for celebration!

In the spring, the weather takes a break from the bitter cold and we see the sun a little more.  It starts to get lighter out earlier and we change the clocks in order to give us more time to enjoy the sun.  These are my two favorite seasons and I’ll admit that I love fall a tad bit more.

I’ve pulled some of my fall decorations out already even though we are still sporting 90 degree weather.  I like seeing pumpkins and fall leaves around the house!

But let’s talk about pizza!  There was a bit of a twist this week.

• Whole Wheat Crust
• Pizza Sauce (Scott’s side)
• Garlic olive oil (My side)
• Red Onion
• Spinach
• Chopped tomato
• Broccoli
• Shredded Moz and provolone

Mmm mmm!  I wanted something simple this week that had some veggie content to it.  I use garlic olive oil as a base for my side of the pizza.  I poured some olive oil in a bowl and added in two cloves of garlic that I sliced in half.  I let it sit for most of the day and then I heated it up slightly in the microwave before brushing on the crust.  I sprinkled a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning on top then started layering in the veggies and cheese. I did add a very very small amount of sauce to my side as well.  Just to give it a little bit more umph but not enough for it to be “saucy”.

Best pizza!  Of course it could have been that I was starving by this point as well.  We had to make a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a few essentials.  I try not to go to the store on pizza day because I don’t want anything delaying pizza but sometimes the situation is unavoidable.

I also went back in for a third piece.

Listen to this Antiques craziness! Alright so this lady brought in this old wooden painted box.  It was from Lancaster, PA and was Pennsylvania Dutch style (think like Amish but not quite as a restrictive lifestyle).  It had Americana type pictures painted on it like a house and tulips.  If you have ever seen Warren Kimble paintings, this is similar.  Except that Warren Kimble is “new” and this box was from the 1800s.  Anyway this little rinky-dink box was worth over $100,000.  NO LIE.

At which point I turned to Scott and said, “If we had a crap box like that, we would be selling that mofo right quick.”   Because honestly it looked just like that, a little crappy box.

Be careful with what looks like junk!

We had wine while watching and no pic was taken because we were totally off our game last night.  Ha!  Since we went to the store our evening timeline got shifted and we were out of sorts.  We also had dessert, vegan PB and chocolate silk pie.  Heaven!

How’s everyone’s week going?  If you live in the U.S. are you ready for a three day weekend?  We are!

I was contacted by the Central Ohio PRSA group asking if I would participate in a panel discussion on the relationships between bloggers and PR reps.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  The panel is part of a half day seminar focusing on that topic specifically.

As bloggers, most of us have had interactions with PRs who are contacting us on behalf of XYZ company for ABC reason.  We may have had excellent experiences and we may have had some not so excellent experiences.

Perhaps we’ve had both?

The goal of this seminar and the panel discussion is to help PR reps better communicate with bloggers and to form better relationships with bloggers.

I have some topics already that I hope to discuss at the panel including email solicitations, follow-up, and product delivery.

There was a brief discussion with some blogger friends of mine about some unfortunate interactions with PR reps and how frustrating that can be for a blogger.  Some of those interactions include having a PR rep contact you only to turn around and take away the offer.  That’s fun!

So friends, I want to know what are your praises and what are your frustrations with PR reps?  This does not mean bashing a specific person, company, or firm.  It just means, what have they done that surprised you, provided for a good working relationship, or frustrated you?

As bloggers we have a lot to offer in terms of feedback and I would like to hear your thoughts so I can provide as much information as possible at this event.  Let’s discuss!

Over these two years I have discovered what works and what doesn’t when it comes to me and my blog.  I have learned many things, discovered new foods, and made so many new friends.

The site has changed so much and it is constantly evolving which is always for the better!  Right now I have a clear goal with OHC and it sort of came to me as I was working on several projects last month.

OHC is a site where I focus on food and exercise.  I want to show people that eating healthy and exercising can be FUN and does not have to be HARD.  I want to help people get in the kitchen and cook for themselves.  I want people to realize how important local restaurants are and to support them instead of big chain places that don’t care about it’s customers.

I want people to pay attention to the ingredients in their food, shop locally, and support their local farmers.

I want people to decrease their reliance on processed foods and enjoy meals that they created with whole foods instead.

I want people to take more responsibility when it comes to the food they eat.

I want people to cook.

But most of all, I want people to be happy and healthy and learn how to take the necessary steps to get there.

I used to label myself as a “healthy living blog” and that does not really fit me or my blog style any more.  Plus you know my thoughts on labels!  I’ve decided that needed to change too and I’m now considering OHC to be in the category of a “Food and Wellness Blog”.

Why?  Because those are what I’m passionate about.  Food should be self-explanatory!

Wellness because it is broad and can cover everything from physical health, to mental health, to nutrition, to any number of things.  Being happy and healthy starts from within.  You can’t move forward with your health unless you take control of the situation.  I want people to do just that, take control of their health!

I hope that you’ll stick around to share this journey and my stories with me!

OHC has taught me a lot and I know there is still a lot more to learn.  Happy Birthday OHC, you’ve had a good year!

Now they have my attention!

I have a super small head that is also skinny.  I also have super small ears but that’s another story for another time.  I do not have the luxury of having thick flowing locks of hair either, I have poker straight super fine hair.  The kind where if it’s humid, while everyone else goes frizzy, I end up looking like a reject from The Brady’s.  My hair is thin, flat, and lifeless.  I’m not hating on my hair, I’m just stating facts.  I actually am in love with my hair now! It was a long process but we’ve made peace.

Because I have a small head with thin hair, getting headbands to stay on my head is a battle that I just cannot win.  Those little tiny elastic headbands that are popular now a days to help keep flyaway hair out of your face?

Those actually will roll off my head and go flying across the room.

No lie.

Even if they have the magic “grippy rubber” on them.  Flying off my head like I’m playing some weird game of horseshoes.

Most stuff is way too big for my head and I was anxious to give these Bondi Bands a try for two reasons: 1. Because they claim to have a no slip motto, 2: Because my current running hat was causing me some woes.  It was causing sweat to run down into my face and eyes way too much and too easily.  My lucky day came when I won a Bondi Band in a contest over at Java Joggers.  Hooray!

That’s me up above wearing my winnings!  I picked one of the hottest mornings to give it a try and as you can see from the pic, I produced a good sweat.

The Bondi Band worked wonders!  It stayed on my head, kept the small hairs out of my face, and held back sweat.  The parts of my face that did sweat, were below the headband itself.

In fact I loved it so much that I bought two more!

I don’t know if you can see it very well in this picture but I got a purple band that says, “One Hot Mess” in silver.  I also got a plain dark blue band that doesn’t say anything.  I figured that one I could wear out hiking or perhaps to martial arts training.

The thicker bands are the ones with the sayings.  They do a great job at keeping sweat out of my face.  The plain one is a bit thinner and is much better suited for light workouts with only a small amount of sweat.  On me, it couldn’t handle a big sweaty run.

While they do fit my head, they also ride up just a touch during workouts.  It’s not noticeable and I can’t feel it when it happens but I will start to become sweaty on the place that is newly exposed.

Pros:

• Fun Colors and sayings
• Fits small heads
• Keeps sweat out of eyes
• Light weight, you can’t even really feel it
• Easy to clean, wash and dry

Cons:

• On smaller heads, does ride up just a tad during workouts
• The plain band is a bit thinner and is better for light workouts (not really a “con” but needs mentioning)

The headbands themselves are wide and sometimes when I’m wearing them along with my wristbands, I do feel like I’m channeling my inner 80s aerobic instructor.  However my philosophy is, “Use whatever works” and these work so I’m using them!

If you sweat during your workouts or if you are looking for a way to keep the hair out of your face during a workout (or both!) then, I definitely would give these a try.  They are not expensive, they are easy to care for, and they ship quickly!

Thanks Java Joggers for introducing me to Bondi Bands!

Disclaimer: I won the first product free from a contest with no expectation of review. The other products I bought on my own with my own money and this review is my honest opinion.

I woke up early for my run yesterday and was not feeling it.  I was dreading it,  as in, ” *sigh* Today’s my long run which means I have to go all the way out there and back.  Man I just don’t want to run that.”

I love my long runs as much as I love my right arm so when a time pops up that I am dreading a long run, then it’s time to chill out.  This wasn’t one of those moments were you are debating a run, this was a moment of “Oh I really don’t want to do this.”  That is a completely different mindset because even if you go out anyway, you’ll hate it.

I’m not trying to hate on exercise and activity.  Instead I slept in, took Rocky for a long walk, and then spent the rest of the day being productive.  I was really hungry when I got back from the walk so I made a wee Owl bowl of yogurt, homemade granola, and some chocolate chips.  Hey, I might not have done a long run, but I still wanted some chocolate!

I watched a little Food TV but mostly I moved things to the kitchen to be even more productive.  I’m one of those people who consider spending time in the kitchen as time well spent.  If I’m making something and prepping for the day, then I’m a pretty happy person.  Because it was a “special” unplug day, I decided we should have a special breakfast.  I got Scotty up early so I would have some company and so I could see him a bit more since I didn’t get to spend much time with him on Saturday.  I was being selfish.

I figured yesterday was the perfect day for some homemade cinnamon rolls (totally vegan of course)!

I made the dough ahead of time and let that rise for about an hour.  When it was time to spread on the filling is when I got Scott up for the day.  I like nuts with my cinnamon rolls and the filling for these have pecans and walnuts.

Sorry for the unintentional flash!  Cinnamon rolls look and sound fancy but they are super easy to make.  Once the filling is spread on, you just roll everything up!

And slice! Depending on how big you want them will determine how big the slices are.  I did about 2 inches.

After they are placed in a baking dish, let rise again for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.  Bake, and top with a glaze.

Then eat!  I made these a little too sweet, yikes!  I could only handle 1.5 of these bad boys before my mouth puckered shut.  I have no idea what I was thinking when I sweetened them!  I guess I just figured that cinnamon rolls are sweet and these should be the same way.  Next time, I’ll cut the sugar way down.  Despite being overly sweet, they were very yummy and a nice Sunday treat!

Scott and I spent the rest of the day cleaning out the garage.  We had a ton of stuff that needed taken to Goodwill and other stuff that just needed thrown out.  We had a yard-sale over three years ago and the leftover stuff was supposed to get donated.  Procrastination at its finest!

Yesterday I’d had enough and set forth a plan to get rid of the junk.  We have so much stuff it really isn’t funny, it’s frustrating.  We have a lot of hand-me-downs to get rid of and a lot of things that we don’t use or want anymore to get rid.

The hardest thing to get rid of?  Furniture.  No one wants it and if they do, then you are responsible for getting it to them.  Right.  A couch isn’t fitting in our little hobbit car.  We have no way to transport larger items and renting something in order to transport something you are giving away for free seems silly.  Goodwill will not come and pick up items, I asked.  Any suggestions?

We were sweating buckets yesterday while we cleaned out the garage.  The thermometer at the post office said it was 98!  No wonder we were hot!  Welcome back summer.  That was a short trip!

Finally we showered and it was time to fill the bellies again.

While the chicken was roasting, we had a little cheese platter with:

• Jarlsberg
• A sheep’s milk cheese (I forget the name)
• Robusto
• Wheat crackers
• Sunflower seed and basil crackers

With some white wine spritzers for fun.

Side salads for dinner that had been chilling in the fridge for several hours (best way to eat salads!)

• Romaine
• Grape tomatoes
• Red onion
• Carrot
• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
• Homemade croutons

Topped with a easy balsamic dijon dressing.

The chicken was glorious!  Local chicken legs that swam around in a lovely cider-brine for several hours.  A little different this time around, no cranberry juice and a bit more sugar (because I was doing 8 legs at one time).  Then I let them hang out with a cocoa-chili rub and finally roasted them at 400 for about 45 minutes.

To quote Scott, he said, “These legs are freakin’ unbelievable.”

For the record, he was in fact referring to the chicken dinner.

Some local summer corn on the side that rounded out a tasty and extremely easy to make Sunday Supper!

We settled down to finish off the evening by finishing The Tick series.  Best. Show. Ever.

Then I went to bed to prepare for another week!  How was your weekend? What yummy homecooked foods did you enjoy?

This post is part of the Homespun Sunday Series.  If you would like to join, just let me know!

The weather here this week has been amazing!  It’s like early fall with very cool mornings, cool enough that I can see my breath, and very mild afternoons.  We’ve been able to open the windows up in the house to let some fresh air through.  I’m relishing this because I hate being all cooped up in a house with recycled air.  Yuck!

Given that it’s still late summer, I’m sure these temps won’t last long so I’m trying to take advantage as much as possible!  One of my goals is to sit on the deck while getting some work done.  Doesn’t that sound peaceful?

Pizza this week was amazing and very much wanted!  I was starving by the time it came out of the oven.

I cannot cook the pizza on my own, I need Scott’s help in order to slide it into the oven and onto the pizza stone.  Since we typically have Muay Thai conditioning class on Thursday evenings, the previous routine was after I showered, Scott would shower and I would prep the pizza.  Then he would help me get it in the oven.  Now the routine is that I shower, prep the pizza, he helps me, and then he showers.  That way when he’s outta the shower, hot pizza is waiting and we can chow down!

I like this plan a lot better.

• Wheat crust
• Pizza sauce
• Shredded moz and provolone
• Red Onion
• Chopped grape tomatoes
• Shredded Carrot
• Buffalo Chicken sausage
• Ham (Scott’s side)
• Spicy pepper relish (Scott’s side)

Originally I was going to have straight veggies but last night during class I felt a little bit like I was lacking energy and figured I could use some extra protein.  It was yummy and I was starving so three BIG pieces went into my belly!

Scott’s spicy pepper relish was some spicy giardiniera that I picked up at the grocery store salad bar.  I put it in my mini food processor and gave it a rough chop.  It made for a really great topping and Scott loved it!

Wine for the evening was Louis M. Martini Cabernet which is one of our faves.  It’s smooth with a slight spice taste and a very dry finish.

You know we watched Antiques!  One of the most interesting items this episode was a very old clock from the 1700s which was a night time clock!  You would put a candle inside and that illuminated the time.  Very unique looking!  Sadly it wasn’t worth what you would think something from the 1700s would be worth.

After that we watched a little bit of House Hunters and I called it a night.

Anyone else have pizza this week?

I’ve been experimenting with fresh corn a lot this summer.  While corn on the cob will always be a favorite, fresh corn can be used in so many other applications that it’s almost mind boggling. I have found it incredibly fun to do different things with the corn I’m getting from the farmer’s markets this year.

Once you remove the corn from the cob, it can be used in salsas, salads, or just satueed up in a touch of butter.  Each experiment always leads to the next one and then the next one.

Rose had created a corn chowder this summer and it looked delicious.  Scott has had corn chowder as an appetizer on occasion when we’ve gone out to dinner.  I knew that I could create a lovely corn chowder recipe full of veggies and accentuating the fresh summer corn.

Andrea’s Summer Corn Chowder

• 1 1/2 – 2QT of Chicken Stock
• 4 Ears of Corn, remove the kernels from the cob. Yields about 4C of corn.
• 4 Carrots, chunked
• 1 Large Zucchini, chunked
• 1/2 A Medium Onion, chunked
• 1 Green Pepper, chunked
• 1 Chipotle pepper + 1TBSP of Adobo Sauce
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 Large Baking Potato (Russet, Idaho), cut into bite size pieces
• 1 15oz Can of White Beans (Great Northerns or Cannellini)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1tsp Chili Powder
• Olive Oil for sauteeing and roasting potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil, spray with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Place potatoes on the baking sheet, lightly toss in some light olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper.  Bake until they are crispy on the outside, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven.

In a large soup pot, heat some olive oil (about 2 TBSP) over medium heat.  Add in the onion, carrot, zucchini, garlic, and peppers.  Sautee for about 2-3 minutes just till they start to soften.  Add in half the corn and stir.  Add in the chicken stock and half of the roasted potatoes.  Bring to a simmer and simmer until all the veggies have cooked and are soft.  Carrots take the longest.  Once all the veggies have cooked, turn heat to low and with an immersion blender, blend the soup until the veggies break down and the soup starts to become creamy.  Add in the beans along with the rest of the corn and potatoes.  Bring back up to a simmer and cook just till the potatoes and beans are warmed through.

Ladle into large soup bowls and serve immediately!

I was extremely pleased with the way this chowder turned out!  It was creamy and thick without me having to add any heavy liquid or thickener.  Hooray for immersion blenders!  I love that it was smooth but still had the texture of the corn, potatoes, and beans tossed in at the end.  I didn’t want to make a super creamy soup, I wanted something hearty and where you could see the main ingredients so you knew what you were eating.

I purposely wanted the zucchini and carrots to also show through because it gives the chowder a bit of color here and there.  The chipotle pepper and sauce give a nice heat to the background but not too much!  If you wanted to add some hot sauce on top, you totally could.  Or maybe some shredded cheddar?

If you think the chowder is too thick, add in a bit more stock until it becomes the consistency that you like.

The chowder can easily be made veggie and vegan friendly by using veggie broth or No-Chicken chicken broth instead of the stock that I used.  I’m willing to bet this would also be tasty with a few ounces of beer tossed in there.

I like roasted potatoes over potatoes cooked in the soup because I think with roasting they get more depth of flavor.  They also tend to bring a nice texture to recipes and keep their shape more than potatoes simmered in with the liquids.  If you don’t want to roast the potatoes, that’s perfectly okay!  Still only use half when you start cooking and allow the mixture to simmer till the potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.

When it comes to soups and the like, my motto is Go Big or Go Home.  Meaning, I make A LOT.  This soup is no exception and it makes a good amount.  All my soups and things freeze extremely well and reheat well.  So all leftovers can be frozen and saved for another time.

The chowder takes advantage of the sweet summer corn found at the farmer’s markets and turns it into a soothing comforting meal.  A meal that feeds the belly and feeds the soul.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

On super hot days, sometimes I’ll wear two of them.

When it comes to what I consider essential running gear for the summer, it’s safe to say that I don’t leave home without them.

I was contacted by America’s Nutrtion (shoutout to Stephanie!) asking me if I would be willing to review a product that they carried in their store.  I debated about this for a while because looking at the site, America’s Nutrition also carries weight-loss supplements which is not something I support.

I came to the conclusion that reviewing a product they carry doesn’t equal me supporting weight-loss supplements.  I also have faith in my readers that you guys know me well enough to also be certain of this fact.  Because of that I agreed to review a product and the one I picked was a set of wrist bands!

The wrist bands that I was currently using at the time were causing me some woes.  They were scratching my face up and also causing the entire bottom half of my face to break out like I was 16 and working the deep fryer at Micky D’s.

At 33, this is not the look that I’m going for.

I put my request in for the wrist bands and they arrived very quickly!

Oooo pretty!  Microfiber wrist bands with antibacterial qualities?  I’m in!

Upon opening them, I squealed with delight at how soft they are.  Literally like little cloud puffs for your wrist.  I could not wait to test them out!

I waited until I had used them for a while before writing this review because I felt it important that I have some decent experience with them.  That’s only fair to you guys!

Here’s how it looks on my wrist.  I’m not sure if you can tell but the wrist bands are actually very large for my frame.  I have super tiny wrists and these wrist bands are very big to wear.  They also have no elastic qualities which means they don’t conform to my wrist.  They slip on and that’s it.

This is how I actually wear the wrist band when I run.  I turn it inside out and make sure the logo is on the bottom.  Inside out so that there’s no risk of the logo scratching my face or eye during a run when I’m less likely to be paying attention.

Also, don’t be alarmed at my wrist looking funky!  It’s just the angle of the camera.  I wear the wrist band so that it is half way up my hand, in other words, so that it covers half my hand.  I do this because the wrist band is so large.  If I do not do this, it will slip up and down, up and down, my arm as I run.  That can get annoying after a bit.

Despite the larger size, I honestly really do like these wrist bands.  They are soft and do not scratch my face.  The wrist band is made out of a microfiber material with antibacterial properties to it.  That means they don’t smell and won’t cause you to wipe ickies all over yourself as you’re working out.

They work really well at wiping sweat off your face.  If you are super major sweaty, it sort of feels like it doesn’t get all the sweat but it still gets the majority off and out of your eyes.  Since using these new wrist bands my face has cleared up and they haven’t irritated or clogged any of my pores.

They are easy to care for, toss in the wash and then the dryer.  Since there’s two of them, you can alternate them through out the week.  I use them for all my runs now and I have no desire to go back to the old wrist bands.

In Summery, the Pros and Cons of the PurFiber Wrist Band by Zenzation:

Pros:

• Soft microfiber material won’t scratch your face or eyes.
• Antibacterial qualities means your pores won’t get clogged and your face won’t break out.  Does not smell.
• Easy to clean.
• Wipes sweat off easily.

Cons:

• Very large wrist band for smaller framed people.
• No elastic properties, meaning it will stretch out after the first use. Will go back to original shape and size after washing.

There you have it gang!  If you wear wrist bands and are looking for something that takes care of sweat check these out over at America’s Nutrition!

Disclaimer: I was sent these wrist bands for free from America’s Nutrition with the agreement that I would review them.  I was not compensated for this review and the review is my honest opinion.

I’m up to my eyeballs in projects and I love it! It is also making me realize several things:

1. I need to be better organized.
2. I need to optimize my phone so it works for me and I’m using it to its fullest potential.
3. I need to work on my time management skills a little better.

My organizational and time management skills are actually pretty good but they can be better and I need to make them better!  But let’s talk about food shall we?

Yesterday was a glorious food day!  A day where all I wanted to do was stuff my face and get my grub on.  This may or may not have something to do with the fact that, to quote my friend Angela, “That’s what happens when you run a thousand miles.” Ha!

To be honest, I love the kind of days were I can stuff my face.  I am not afraid of food or eating. I love food.  More specifically, I love stuffing my face with real food that tastes fab and nourishes my body. Yesterday I did just that.

After my Thousander, I plopped down on the couch with my Bug (nickname for my netbook), Rocky, food, and my Zensha sleeves.  My food was some yogurt with homemade granola and chocolate chips.  Not too many chips this time!  Along with coffee on the side.  I couldn’t hold out any longer and busted out some of my fall dishes.  The coffee mug has a wee owl on the side of it and my yogurt bowl is in the shape of an owl.  He has eyeballs and a beak too, but the food covers that up.  The owl bowls I use all the time because they are just way too cute to only use during the fall months.  Both these items I got at Homegoods for el cheapie!

It wasn’t long after eating this little recovery meal that I was hungry for some real food in the form of pancakes.  Specifically pancakes the size of my two hands put together.  I use to make small pancakes, now I want the real deal!  Thankfully Scotty was up by this point so I could get moving on Sunday Breakfast.

Hello my babies!  Regular buckwheat pancakes with some fall spices: cinnamon, allspice, and clove.  Mmmm mmmm!

Two chicken sausages on the side, some OJ, and cantaloupe in the middle.  I buttered those johnnies up and dipped them in maple syrup.  Fantastic!

When it’s just Scott and I, I fully geek out on food.  I’ll take lots more pictures, make very loud “mmm mmm” sounds, and close my eyes.  Sometimes I’ll do a little happy dance in my seat and clap my hands.  Totally confessing to you all.

I told you, I like food.

Scott and I didn’t do much of anything yesterday but chill out.  The week was rough in terms of being busy (as I’ve stated way too many times) and on Saturday we spent the whole day cleaning out our office trying to make it more functional and organized.  Sunday we needed to just chill, so we did.  We hung out and watched Triple D.

Um, then I was hungry again.  I had to get started on dinner because there was no way I would be able to make it until later in the evening.  On Sundays we usually eat dinner between 6:30 and 8pm.  Not planned, that’s just how it works out.  Yesterday?  I was prepping dinner by 4pm.

Feed my bellah!

I’m totally in fall mode gang.  I made a HUGE crockpot of lentil chili on Saturday and yesterday we had some roast chicken breast with root veggies.

Local bone-in chicken breasts (buy bone-in gang! Totally so much better!) that I brushed with some olive oil and then put a simple rub on:

• Poultry Seasoning
• Garlic Powder
• Kosher Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Allspice

I know, that might sound like a weird combo but it’s amazing.  A little bit more olive oil and in the oven at 400 for about 45 minutes.

Poultry seasoning makes me think of fall which is exactly what I wanted.

Last week, Scott and I went out to dinner and my veggies that came with my meal were sauteed chard on top of mashed potatoes.  It was easily the best combo of veggies I have ever had.  I thought, “I could make this and kick it up a notch.”  Which is exactly what I did for last night’s side dishes.

Mashed potatoes with sauteed kale and golden beets.  Recipe for that soon!

There was much squealing and chair dancing as I was eating this.

I was a proud member of the clean plate club last night. So so good!

After dinner, I chatted with my mom while Scott did some more office related stuff, then it was time for more couch sitting.  Holmes ended up being one we’ve seen several times and we decided to watch something on Netflix Streaming instead.  We picked The Tick, live action version.

There was of course snacking during the show.

Coconut sugar cookies (vegan) along with some leftover wine.  YUMMY!

If you like silly humor then The Tick is for you!  It’s flipping hysterical and it’s a shame that Fox never picked it up after the first season.  Seriously could not stop laughing.  We have three shows left and I told Scott that we have to buy the DVD!

Let me know how your weekend was and what goodies you got a chance to create and eat!

This post was part of Homespun Sundays.  If you want to join in, just let me know!

I tend to take my workouts one day at a time.  I have a plan in my head how I want to approach the week but I’m flexible as well.  If I’m tired, or something isn’t happening, I’m not going to push it.

Today’s long run was amazing.  I was skeptical going into the run because, not mentioning any names, but someone woke me up an hour before my alarm was set to go off.  *sigh*  Whatever, roll with the punches right?

Today was a heck of a lot more nicer than last Sunday!  It was overcast, cooler, and a constant breeze!   The humidity was still high but with no sun and a breeze, it was easy to combat it.  I didn’t have to wear my Camelbak which I was very thankful for!

One quick stop back home after a 4.5 loop so I could grab some water I had sitting out, then it was off for the rest of my run.  I was able to bust out 12 miles and it felt awesome!

My knee had a weird little twinge on the outside which I was hoping wouldn’t cause me to cut the run and head home early.  It did not but it was a bit sore once the run was over.

After my shower, I quick put on my leg sleeves and no lie, within about 15-20 minutes, my knee twinge was gone.

GONE friends!

That’s me kicking it with my sexy leg sleeves and chilling on the couch.  I promise the shot on the TV was coincidental and this post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Nissan.  Too bad.

I will do a proper review of the leg sleeves, but trust me when I say to get some because they are awesome.  I’m totally going to get more.  In that picture you can also see my spikey ball on the floor.  It massages feet and is also amazing after a long run.

Those are my current two running things that I’m in LOVE with!  I’m grateful for winning the leg sleeves and for Scott buying himself the spikey ball and then allowing me to steal it away.

Alright loves, I need to get Sunday Breakfast started.  Tell me how your week was!