Weekending

Happy Sunday friends!  So, we are told that spring will arrive early this year - who's with me on the excitement for that???  Part of my excitement is the warmer temps but a BIG part of my excitement is getting started building my new gardening area.  I've got plans people, and I know it will be a struggle to get my better half to help with some of it but I'm determined to do just that.  After my win on the cattle panel trellis last year I'm feeling confident in my persuasion abilities.  I'll share more about garden plans in the next month or so.

We received a winter storm Thursday and Friday.  It started with snow, then switched to sleet and rain, then back to snow.  The snowfall at the end, on Friday, was stunning.  It was wet and heavy and stuck to the trees so beautifully.  The temps quickly dropped below freezing so the trees remained adorned with their white coating.  I walked out of the house Saturday morning to let Oliver out and spent a couple of (very cold) minutes just reveling in the beauty of it all.

Saturday is food prep day so an hour or so was devoted to that.  I try to get my salad ingredients and anything else that makes sense to do, prepped on Saturdays.  I also prep all of our Sunday meals since we have the farmer's market that day.  I roasted some sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and beets for a delicious addition to this week's salads.  As I was prepping the beets my husband walked through and his eyes lit up.  He asked what the beets were for and I said for my salad.  He looked at me, then the beets, then me and said "well, I like beets".  I laughed.  I said I would put some aside for him to eat without salad, which made him quite happy.  I don't serve beets as much as I should because they are a pain - red getting all over everything.  I like to bake them and then slip the skins off and cut them up.  It's a bit messy but not too terribly bad.  I never was a fan of beets but I've incorporated them into my life because they are so good nutritionally.  I still don't love or crave them, but I don't mind them anymore.

I also prepped all our products on Saturday, cleaned and packed eggs, did a light cleaning in the house, worked on taxes (yuck!), and listened to the first day of a (free) health/weight loss summit I signed up for.  I signed up specifically for 3 speakers which includes one who claims to have a way to break the craving for sugar (seminar is on Wednesday).  I've pretty much broken my craving but sugar is a serious pull for me so any additional tips and tricks I learn would be great!  (not an affiliate link and a heads up that it is plant-based focused - just sharing if you are interested)

Reading - Breasts: The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Kristi Funk (affiliate link).  So I've had this book for about a year I think.  I picked it up at a flea market.  I've never read it until this week when I devoured it over the course of 2 days.  Why?  Because it scared the heck out of me.  In a good way.  (if there is a good way?)  Here's the thing - I knew the risk for breast cancer increases with age and I knew that I have a couple additional factors making my risk a bit higher, but I did not know the specifics, and reading it made it very real.  VERY real.  For instance, did you know that if you are between the ages of 50 and 59 your chances of breast cancer are 1 in 43??  If you're in your sixties, your chances are 1 in 29.  And that's just the risk due to age, it's before additional potential risk factors are factored in.  Ugh...

It was actually the perfect timing for me to read it because I was struggling just a bit with my fairly new plant-based lifestyle.  Every once in a while I go through just wanting to be able to eat "normal" - meaning, I'd like to just go out to dinner and not have to worry about whether or not a restaurant is going to have something I can eat.  Anywhoo, reading this is keeping me on course with my new "normal" because Dr. Funk gives the following details as part of her book: eating a plant-based whole food diet + regular exercise + maintaining a healthy weight = reduces your risk by 80% (for women 50 and older, which is a group I'm newly part of).

Plant-based eating aside, I highly recommend this book for all women of any age to read.  It's very well written and full of information on breast health and details her recommendations for lifestyle changes (including info on what to add to your daily diet, plastics, cosmetics, deodorant, radiation, myths, risk factors, stress, etc.), the why's behind it all.  She also includes quite a bit of information for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.

Learning - about my own personality.  So I decided, on a whim of course, to take the (free) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test here.  I really didn't think much about it as I clicked through the test.  Until I read the results...… huh, I thought.  Honestly, I'd never thought of myself as an advocate but that is indeed who I am.  After reading the turbulent versus assertive I am definitely turbulent, definitely an introvert and the information under diplomat and constant improvement are fairly spot on as well.  Interestingly, good or bad, for the most part it was me in a nutshell.  Who would of thought?  It was very funny reading that friends and colleagues often believe this personality type is a quiet extrovert, not understanding that instead it's a true introvert.  I've tried to explain this to others who just didn't believe me.  Have you taken this test?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cooking - we've been loving taquitos in the air fryer for lunches.  For mine, I take some refried beans and chopped canned chilies, roll a bit up in a corn tortilla, and throw them in for 6 minutes.  For Jay's I use pre-cooked ground beef, cheese, and canned green chilies.  Crispy, chewy, and delicious!  I make a guacamole dip and a side salad to go with it.  I could honestly eat this everyday but the man says he needs variety so I've been making it only a few days a week.  Saturday was one of those days.  For dinner on Saturday it was one of Jay's favorites - seared scallops, gnocchi with sage butter, and steamed broccoli,  and a big old delicious raw salad with balsamic dressing for me.

Sunday's are usually oatmeal for me for breakfast, and an egg sandwich and air fryer hash browns for Jay.  For lunch I brought veggies with hummus dip and avocado toast.  Jay gets a burger at the farmer's market.  I bring fruit and (healthier) cookie dough balls for a snack.  The cookie dough balls I make up as a large batch and store in the freezer so they are easy to grab and go Sunday mornings.  Dinner for Jay tonight is slow-cooker Mississippi pot roast with potatoes and beets, and a big salad with veggies, beans, seeds, & quinoa for me.

Oliver is sleeping on the couch (and hogging all the blankets) while I write this post

Planning - a few outings to local museums or other attractions.  We've talked about going and have only been to a handful.  We typically only think about visiting local sites in the summer, when we get too busy, so I'm trying to get the husband to go visit a few before winter is over.  If I have to, I'll entice him with lunch at his favorite local restaurant (that also offers vegan options for me - hooray!!)...... A girls gotta have a few tricks in her back pocket, you know?

Link Love:
Take Back Your Online Privacy (prjvs) - an interesting read. Online privacy, or all privacy for that matter, no longer exists it seems.
Most Of Your Stuff Is Worthless: 3 Things You Should Be Doing NOW To Reduce What You Own (dallas moms collective) - this is so spot on.  After going through my MIL's home when she passed it was a relief that my mom had pared her stuff down to what she really loved.
The False Promise Of Morning Routines (atlantic) - I, personally, feel better having a morning routine, but I get that it isn't for everyone.
3 Kids. 2 Paychecks. No Home. (California sunday magazine) - eye opening.
Say What You Mean To Say (modern mrs darcy) - because we don't get do-overs in life, a lesson to learn.  p.s. while you're there, if you're a reader, check out some of her book recommendations.


How was your weekend?  Did you read or do anything interesting?

Weekendingwas originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)