Category: life

Let’s Toast!

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I promise I haven’t been living under a rock but where has Sweet Potato toast been my whole life? And why am I just now learning about it?!

Sundays are my food prep day and this past Sunday I decided to try a recipe I saw in a YouTube video recently. I’ve always been a fan of sweet potatos but the idea of replacing my morning toast with a thick slice of toasted sweet potato has never occurred to me. But I’m so glad I stumbled onto Downshiftology’s video.

Sweet potatos are highly nutritious. They are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

  • The fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes help gut health by promoting the growth of good gut bacteria.
  • The antioxidant responsible for their orange color, beta-carotene, is the same antioxidant found in carrots. When you consume them, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, which aides in healthy vision.
  • Vitamin A is also important for a healthy immune system by helping to maintain healthy mucous membranes in the lining of your gut. This lining is responsible for protecting against many disease-causing pathogens.
  • One serving of sweet potatoes provided one-third of your daily value of magnesium. Studies suggest magnesium deficiency has been linked to a risk of depression, anxiety and stress.
  • Sweet potatoes contain choline, a nutrient proven to reduce inflammation.

So, it was a no brainer for me to switch out my morning toast. And luckily for me there are so many ways to prepare Sweet Potato Toast.

My favorite is with an over easy egg and a drizzle of hot sauce. Sometimes I even add a little spinach and garlic. But there are so many other options.

First start with a spread such as almond butter, avocado or cream cheese. Next add anything from chopped nuts to fresh herbs, bacon or berries. The toppings are endless.

Tell me, have you tried Sweet Potato toast? Is so, what are your favorite toppings. If you aren’t a fan, what is your go to breakfast recipe? Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I rarely skip it.

Looking forward

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December was crazy!!! Well, let’s be honest 2020 was a hot mess.

But specifically speaking, December was a little much. I honestly didn’t know if I was coming or going half the time. Our little businesses picked up toward the middle of the month and online sales were nuts.
And… I thought it was a good idea to take a full time substitute job the last two months of the year! What the heck was I thinking?!!

Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond happy and recognize how truly blessed we are. I know there are a lot of people going through very hard times right now. But we worked hard for the little bit of success we had. We put in 16 hour days from black Friday all the way to Christmas Eve.


It all paid off though, despite being in a global pandemic both of my little businesses had record breaking years. And I plan to keep this momentum going.


As 2021 begins, one of my goals is to make meal prepping a priority. Tonights dinner was supposed to be shrimp & gouda grits topped with shaved brussel sprouts and bacon but the Walmart was all out of brussels when I made my order yesterday so we compromised. I had half of a leftover spicy tofu wrap from my lunch date with my bestie and some super greens, so they made it to my plate.

The guys enjoyed a huge helping of grits and shrimp with leftover cornbread. Everyone left the table completely full and satisfied. I have meals planned for the rest of the week and I’m determined to keep the momentum. I don’t set resolutions, per se, but I do start the year with a couple of “focuses”.

So far, I have a few “focuses” I’ll be talking about in upcoming posts. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year.

Garden Fresh

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Last year we planted a small raised garden bed in our front yard. We chose this location because we knew if we had to walk past it everyday we would be forced to acknowledge it and work in it.

I admit, we can be a little scatterbrained and lazy at times. But we were determined to have a garden. Unfortunately, life got in the way and we didn’t have much luck with our little garden.

This year we aren’t quite as busy and we decided to add another raised bed and plant another garden in the ground.

We’ve been enjoying romaine and kale since March. We also planted Brussel sprouts, peppers, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and more. Our plants are big with a few fruits per plant. I’m excited to see how it does this year since I’m out there almost daily pulling weeds and pruning when needed.

Juggling 

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A little over a month ago I posted a similar photo of my oldest on my personal Instagram page. 


I commented on what a great summer we were having and mentioned our Tuesday lunches. I take him to therapy on Tuesdays and over the summer we would get lunch together and have a lazy afternoon reading or talking while his brother was at camp. 

But school started a month ago and those Tuesdays are a little rushed and hectic. 

Potter isn’t much into socializing, showing affection, or even comfortable being in a crowd. Most evenings he can be found sitting on his bed reading a book or playing on his tablet. While the younger two are outside riding bikes or running around, Potter is comfortable sitting on the porch scetching in a notebook or reading. I don’t force him to play outside because I’m happy he’s doing what he loves. 

But it does make it a little more difficult to bond with him when he’s constantly looking down at his book or tablet. 

So, since school started I have had to try a little harder to get just five minutes of time to spend with him alone. He’s a fifth grader this year and so far this year has been difficult for him but his teachers know we are working with a therapist and are trying to be patient (although I understand that can be difficult). 

With work, our side business, three kids, online classes starting for me, and trying to condition my relationship with The Beard it has been an interesting couple months. 

But just call me the juggler, I’ve got this. 🙂

Food Freaks and A Trophy Wife…

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The Beard and I get two nights per month  completely to ourselves (if we’re lucky). The last couple months we’ve been hunting down food trucks and enjoying local breweries. Tonight was no exception. 


Unfortunately I forgot to snap a photo of our food but I’m not exaggerating when I say it was phenominal. Food Freaks serve amazing 1/4 and 1/2 pound burgers and handcut fries. I got their House Burger – bacon jam and cheddar cheese served with a BBQ aioli. 😋

The Beard got The Mel – bacon jam, fresh jalapeño and pimento cheese served with Sriracha chili mayo. 🌶😵🤤 He seemed to enjoy it. 

This food truck travels all over the Triad and tonight we found them at Juggheads Growlers and Pints where they have 32 craft beers on tap, all from North Carolina. It was our first trip and we were happy with the cozy atmosphere. It was mild enough to enjoy our drinks outside, under the covered “porch”. 


I had Trophy Wife and 3rd Rock Jetty Session IPA. I’m no beer critic but I enjoyed the 3rd Rock IPA more, I liked the friuit kick (if that makes sense). The Beard really liked what he tried, the Fiddlin Fish Camel City Session IPA, a new brewery in Winston Salem that opened this week. I see a trip there in our future. 🍻

We were home and relaxing in bed by 9. We are so adventurous!! 😂

But since he wakes up around 3:30 am, for work, on Saturdays it isn’t hard to understand why. 

If you guys enjoyed my little review of these places let me know. And if you recommend any food trucks or breweries in the triad or Charlotte area please let me know. 

Night guys, I hope your weekend is relaxing and fun. I’m loving this cooler weather. 

Childhood

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I often hear or read that we are raising a “softer generation” and this comment always makes me smile because I don’t know about you, but I’m OK with that. What do you guys think about this?

When I was five, a kindergartner, I would ride the school bus home from school. The bus didn’t drop me off at my house, instead I would walk three houses up to my house, unlock the door and lock it behind me. I would stay in my home for two to three hours by myself until my parents got home from work. At 10, I did the same thing but with a five year old brother (Red) in tow. When I got my license at 16, I would drive from the high school to the middle school to pick up Red and then drive home. We were not allowed to answer the phone if it rang or the door if someone came to it, which they rarely did. If our friends were outside playing, we could not play with them until 5:30 or 6:00 when our parents got home. There were no after school activities because we were a package deal and we had no one to help us out.

Now that I’m a mother, I understand the struggles with being lower middle class and having children. I understand the struggles but do I want my kids to go through what we through, heck no!

I work in retail and recently dropped to part time for this very reason. My kids are going to be kids. I don’t expect them to take care of themselves, there is no reason for them to be alone and have to take care of each other. They should be allowed to play with their friends after school. They should be able to come to me if they need me. And if this means my kids are softer, fine, I’m OK with that.

This week, I was reminded of this. AJ (remember, he’s 7) went to summer camp with $3 for snacks for three days. Usually they put the money into an account but this was the last week and they did not want any money left in the accounts. I was unaware of this. My baby left his $2, after the first day, in his cubby. This is his cubby, he’s used it all summer. He has left water bottles, towels, glasses, sunscreen, you name it in this cubby. So, it didn’t occur to him his money would be any different. When he got home that evening and we were talking about their day it came to light that Potter still had his snack money. And when I dug deeper into the conversation I found out about the $2 left in AJ’s cubby. The first thing in my head is “His money is gone, there’s no way it’ll still be there.” But I kept this to myself and talked about their day. The next morning I sent AJ into camp with the instructions to see if his money was still in his cubby. Unfortunately it was not.

The look on his face made my stomach turn. He couldn’t understand where it went. Some things you must know about AJ:

  • He is just like me, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
  • He is honest, he has a hard time telling a lie even when it’s a joke. He has an easy to spot tale.
  • He expects the same from other people. He expects to be treated the way he treats others. (Imagine that!!)
  • He is loving, he loves everyone no matter their background, skin color, age, etc.

I gave him a dollar, a kiss, and told him we would talk after I got off work.

I thought about it all day. My stomach was in knots. His heart was broken. He got a glimpse at what this world is like. Someone stole from my baby, at a christian based camp!

So, we talked about it. I told him that kids don’t want to do bad things, but sometimes they do. We compared it to times when we are tempted and have a choice to make. I explained that sometimes people make a decision that isn’t always the best one. We talked about how just because it happens to you, doesn’t mean it’s OK to do it to other people. I pointed out that we all want to be good people, but good means different things to different people. We talked and we hugged. He’s very tender-hearted, he may have cried a little. He’s so easy to talk to.

I don’t want my kids to face the world without knowing what to expect but I also want to be the one to expose them to the world. As a parent, it is my job to prepare them and to show them how amazing this world can be. I think the world needs to soften up a little and love more but that’s for another post.

Birthdays

Today is The Beard’s birthday

🎂 🎉🎈🎉

To say he isn’t big on birthdays is an understatement.

He doesn’t like to celebrate, he doesn’t eat cake, he doesn’t want presents…

Who is this man? And why does he not want presents?

I’ve accepted this flaw trait, but that doesn’t stop me from going a little overboard.

Now, it needs to be noted that for my birthday he took me and the boys to the beach for the weekend and we enjoyed a bluegrass festival, food truck food, a boat ride to an island, swimming in the ocean, grilling out, and great seafood.

So, when my mom messaged me last week wanting to have a dinner for her husband’s birthday (August 1) on The Beard’s actual birthday (today), I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. But ultimately, it turned into a double birthday celebration and it was a way to have a party that didn’t put The Beard in the spotlight (too much). And he was OK with it – A Bonus!

It turned out to be a great day, despite the fact that I’m suffering from a sprained neck (no idea how it happened but it freakin sucks). My aunt and uncle came out and  my brother (Red), his girlfriend, and her son were there too. And Red’s lady made this amazingly beautiful and equally delicious cake for our step-dad.


Isn’t she talented?!

This was probably the most moist and tastiest cake I’ve ever had.

The Beard has taken care of me all day but he did enjoy his gifts.


Our kids pitched in and picked out a bag full of snacks and candy, which he would much rather have than a stinking cake (his words not mine).

And I found him a hammock we can take camping and paddles for his kayak.

I’m looking forward this weekend, we’re going camping without the kids and taking the kayaks for a weekend in the water.

But for now, I’m off to rest this neck of mine. Goodnight friends.

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My tribe

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I wrote back in November that I deleted all dating apps and here is why:

Meet The Beard. We met in early November and after four dates he had completely swept me off my feet. He’s funny, hardworking, honest, and incredibly gorgeous. We started living together a few months ago and this blog will explore bringing our families together and the life lessons we face along the way.

The rest of our tribe:


My oldest, Potter or P for short, is strategic, passionate, and fun. He loves to read, anything mysterious, non-fiction, or fantasy; he loves to play chess, put together puzzles, and play cards; he also enjoys nerf guns and legos. We have been struggling with behavior issues and anxiety with him for a few years. Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, and ADHD have also been brought up and are being explored. It’s a huge learning process for all of us. I kick myself regularly thinking these things should have been discussed earlier in his life but that bridge has been crossed and all we can do now is figure out which path works best for us.


My youngest, AJ, is spirited, adventurous, mischievous, and extremely loving. He has a huge heart and is tender hearted. He recently started to wear glasses and lost them the second day he wore them to school. But we have since found them and we are figuring out how to keep up with them and getting used to wearing them. He is the typical youngest child (he has step siblings from his father and they are all older). He doesn’t know how to play alone and is very close to everyone.


Lastly, we have The Beard’s daughter, Cat. Her mother doesn’t want her photo online so her photos will always be distorted. She is a year younger than P and she has adjusted well to my boys. She is patient, fun, and a typical girl. She loves barbies, baby dolls, unicorns, anything emoji, and watching YouTube videos. She’s surprisingly quiet, unless all three of them are together.

We are enjoying our summer. Stay tuned for more about our lives and adventures.

Single-handedly catching up

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It has been a crazy month, so I will take a few post to get you guys caught up on the shenanigans that have been my life.

One thing I struggled with in October was having to put down our beloved dachshund. 

She had been with us for about four years and my younger son has grown with her, he was only two when we got her. He loved her so much and making the decision to put her down was a difficult one. Prior to our move, she was having some pain in her neck and back. The vet confirmed that she was experiencing some inflammation and gave us medication to help her with the pain. They suggested we get her to rest as much as possible to help the inflammation. My little man was diligent about giving her the medication every morning and it became a routine and beautiful bonding moment for both of them. The medication seemed to help for about a month and then all of a sudden she took a turn for the worse and lost movement in the back half of her body. Within three days she couldn’t walk and then she couldn’t move. She had lost control of her bladder and bowels and she wouldn’t eat. It was painful to watch. My boys were spending the weekend with their father as he got married, so I made the difficult decision with the help of Red and I thought it would be best to do it while they were away. We contacted Lap of Love and they were amazing. They came to the house and everything was done in the comfort of my living room. I held her until she stopped breathing. They left us with a locket of her hair and a plaster of her paw print. When the boys came home Sunday evening I sat them down and explained the events of the weekend, it was heartbreaking and the longest night. The pain is still fresh and I’m sure it’ll be a while before it isn’t.

Another reason I have not posted anything is because on 11/3, I had a minor surgery on my right hand / ring finger and I was in a plaster splint for about 20 days. Typing was a bitch. I probably picked the worst possible time to be one-handed. Last Sunday marked the end of my semester and I was a little behind due to the surgery and the other events leading up to it. So I spent last week playing catch up and boy was that a mess. I typed ten, two to four page assignments, took one final exam, and typed a 20 page final project in about five days. My hand remained inflamed and sore pretty much the entire week. Now the plaster splint is off and the stitches are out but I still need a little rehabilitation. Typing is still a bitch and just getting this little bit down has been difficult. I’ll start physical therapy soon, I know that will be painful but hopefully I’ll be back to typing like normal soon.

Stay tuned for more about why I deleted ALL the dating apps.