A twist on Mexican

The other night I was craving mexican food, but mexican usually involves a lot of unhealthy crap! So I came up with this quick recipe to satisfy my mexican taste buds. It's simple and easy! I used my previous Easy Pulled Pork recipe and just added some mexican cauliflower fritters and BOOM...it was delecious!

Mexican Cauliflower Fritters

Ingrediants:
-2 cauliflower heads
-Small handful fresh parsley finely chopped
-1 small can mild chopped green chilies
-Ground black pepper
-2 tsp chili powder
-2 tsp garlic powder
-About 6 eggs

Directions:
-Fill large pot with water and put on stove to boil. If you have a steamer...use it!
-Wash and chop cauliflower in half or quarters, remove leaves and stems
-Chop parsley and get out garlic and spices
-Once water is boiling, add cauliflower and boil for 15 minutes until soft.
-Mash cauliflower with a large fork or potato masher.
-Add spices and mix well
-Place pan on stove on medium heat.
-Spray pan to keep fritters from sticking
-Fill measuring cup with 1/2 cup cauliflower mixture and mix in one egg
-Pour mixture into hot pan trying to mimic a pancake shape
-Let fritters cook for 3-4 minutes then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

When fritters are done they should be formed and nicely fried to golden brown on each side. To spice up...add hot sauce too!

Place pork on top of cauliflower and eat up!!

Mmmm...Lasagna!

Alright...This is flippin' good! Real good. I just ate half the pan. Not joking! I got this recipe from my friend, Juli, with paleOMG. Every Sunday, I always like to make my food for the week. It's the only day of the week that I never plan anything. I use the day to catch up and get ready for the next week. It's all about being prepared. This week, I decided to mix things up a little and try this Chicken Butternut Lasagna. Holy cow this is good stuff! The only complaint I have about this recipe is that it doesn't make enough. Next time, I am doubling the recipe:)

Hope you enjoy this healthy comfort food as much as I did:)

Ingrediants:

•1 large butternut squash
•1 head garlic clove, roasted
•1/2 yellow onion, diced
•3 boneless chicken breasts, diced
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•1/4 cup canned coconut milk
•1/4 cup tomato sauce
•1 teaspoon basil (fresh or dried)
•1 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
•salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.Cut the end off the bulb of garlic to reveal the cloves inside. Wrap in aluminum foil and throw in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
3.While the garlic is roasting, you'll need to cut your butternut squash. You can do this a couple different ways but remember, you are trying to get the long squash into "lasagna type strips".
4.What I did: Cut the end off the squash, then use a sharp knife to take off the skin. Then cut the squash into 1/4s lengthwise. Remove seeds and strings. Then you can do 1 of 2 things: either use a knife to slice the butternut squash into strips or use a mandoline to slice the butternut squash into thinner strips.
5.Set aside and begin to make your chicken and sauce.
6.Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your diced onion to begin to cook. After about 3 minutes of coating your onions and bringing out their flavor, add your diced chicken along with a bit of salt. Let the chicken cook under low heat while you make your sauce.
7.Your head of garlic should be roasted by now, so pull it out of the oven and remove the roasted cloves and put directly into your food processor.
8.Add olive oil to your food processor along with the roasted garlic and turn your food processor on. Once the garlic cloves have become a paste, add your coconut milk and tomato sauce along with basil and parsley. Pulse until saucy. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
9.When the chicken is ALMOST done cooking remove from heat.
10.Now for the lasagna stacking. Pull out a 8x8 or 9x9 glass baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with a bit of sauce, then add a layer of butternut squash strips, a layer of chicken, and a layer of sauce. Repeat until you are all out of chicken and butternut squash. The last layer should be butternut squash and topped off with sauce.
11.Bake, uncovered, for around 40-45 minutes. The squash should be tender BUT do not cut into it until it has set for a while. I gave mine about 40 minutes. I covered with aluminum foil and let sit.

Enjoy!

Be Kind

Be kind. It’s so simple. Treat everyone with respect even if you feel they don’t deserve it. Smile at a stranger. Always say thank you. And don’t forget those kind little gestures to show someone you care.

Today at Starbucks I was $1.02 short on my coffee card. As I was scraping to come up with the change, an older gentleman behind me pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to the cashier and said, “this one is on me.” I insisted that it wasn’t necessary and I had enough money to pay. However, he just smiled and said, “No worries. You can get the next one. Have a great day miss.”

I think I just stood there staring at him baffled by his kindness to a complete stranger. He doesn’t know who I am, where I come from, and little did he know that I was in the middle of the craziest time at work. That gesture alone made my day. It found my smile that was in hiding.

Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a battle. You never know how the smallest gesture can change someone’s day.

Easy Pulled Pork

This recipe comes from my amazing gym, Crossfit Verve. I made this last Sunday afternoon and I was amazed at how easy this was...I mean it literally took me 5 minutes! Not to mention...it tastes unreal! I this on my eggs in the morning, made lettuce wraps with it for lunch, and for dinner I had it with roasted veggies. It's a cheap and easy meal that makes a lot. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork

Ingrediants:
3 lbs pork, brisket or roast
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
2.5 cups bell pepper, chopped
2 cans El Pato Mexican tomato sauce (7.75oz yellow can)
Half bottle Valentina picante sauce (12.5 oz bottle)
2 t cumin or 2 T curry*

Directions:
Add the pork, onion, peppers, sauces, and your choice of spice to a crock-pot. Set it on low for 6-12 hours, it's ready when you can easily shred the meat holding two forks. Set this up the night before, and let it slow cook all night. I do realize that Colorado has a great selection of mexican food. So I am not sure if this tomato sauce and picante sauce can be found in other states. My advice...experiment! If you only have a plain tomoato sauce, add some additional spices to flavor it up...such as chili powder, cayenne pepper etc.

* the cumin powder will increase the spiciness, while the curry powder will mellow it and sweeten the BBQ sauce--choose your poison wisely.

Be You

All the time, I catch people using the phrase "just believe in yourself!" It is such a simple, but hard phrase to truly follow. Since we are usually the hardest on ourselves, it is easy to doubt our abilities. We are all constantly pushed to be better and we are never satisfied with who we are. My amazing friend Tiffany defines success as doing your very best at that very moment. Meaning, we can't always be aiming for something higher. Each moment of each day is different and as long as we try our best in that moment...that is success.

Today I am going to focus on believing in myself. In order really do this, I have to let go of my baggage and just be me. Afterall, how can I believe in myself if I am working so hard to be someone else? To reach success, I have to believe and to believe I just have to be me.

Community

This past weekend, I was blessed to be around the most influential people in my life. I surrounded myself with tan, ripped, and spandex-wearing athletes from all around the world. I attended the 2011 Crossfit Games held in California!




If I had to chose one word to sum up my weekend….It would be EPIC! The crossfit games is comprised of the top 49 male and 49 female athletes from around the globe. They are put through 10 grueling work-outs to find the fittest man and woman on the planet. I was fortunate enough to have my very own coaches compete, Matt and Cherie Chan. In addition to cheering on the Chans all weekend, we had another Verve athlete, Jim, competing in the Masters competition. Crossfit Verve was represented to the upmost potential and I couldn’t have been prouder to be a part of it. Let me start by saying Cherie Chan is my idol. She is the true definition of a strong and beautiful woman. She put her heart out on the field and she had a smile on her face the whole time. Cherie finished 40th in the world! Jim was amazing! Every time I watch him compete, it gives me chills. He has a big heart and works so hard to make everyone proud. Jim at the age of 47 finished 7th in the world!! Last but not least….Chananimal (aka Matt Chan) was nothing less than spectacular to watch. He is extremely methodical and his capacity is amazing! Matt stayed very consistent throughout each work out and finished 1st in the strength portion. Overall, Matt finished 10th in the world!

I am always asked, why I love crossfit so much. It’s simple. I love it for the community. There is no other sport out there where you have the camaraderie that crossfit has. This past weekend, I watched competitors cheer each other on, help each other off of their feet, and stand by their side until they finished. Powerful stuff. There was one moment in particular that gave me goose bumps. During the final Team Event that would determine the Crossfit Games Champion something unbelievable took place. With only six teams in the final event, there were 6 stations that each member must compete. There was a 30 minute time cap to complete all the stations and winner took all. The stadium was completely filled! At the sound of “3, 2, 1…GO!”, the teams began. It was a race to the finish line and it was an EPIC battle for sure. When it was all said and done, I don’t remember the first place finisher. It was not something that stood out in my mind. What I do remember was all the other teams cheering on the team that got hung up at the first station. One team was not able to finish under the 30 minute cap because the first station took them about 20 minutes alone. Instead of walking off the field in defeat…the team kept going. Even though the clock had stopped, the judges had left, and the games crew started to pack away the stadium, the team kept going. Not to mention, all the other teams that had finished stayed and continued to cheer, count reps, and encourage the team to finish. It was amazing…not even one spectator left their seat. We all cheered just like we did for the other teams. We all stayed together until the end. This is community. No one left each other’s side until EVERYONE was done. It was an amazing moment that truly captured what crossfit is all about.

Throughout the whole weekend, I witnessed groups of crossfitters cheer on other gyms and individuals. I watched athletes complete their last rep and then immediately walked over to their competitor to cheer. They clapped. They yelled. They encouraged. No one was left out on the field alone. You see…today the world tells us winning is everything; the world says it is ok to celebrate and gloat in front of your competition; the world tells us to step on our competition and not to look back. The world is wrong and that’s why crossfit is going to change this world. Crossfit is passion, healthy competition and above all else Crossfit is community.


Above is Matt cheering on fellow competitor until he finishes!

As the sport continues to grow, so does our ability to share with the rest of the world what true competition should look like. So here is what I took away from this weekend. In essence, everyday is competition in one form or another. I am choosing to compete with a smile. I will encourage my competitors when I am done and I won’t let anyone stand on the field alone whether it is inside the gym or at home. I am going to compete everyday and help change this world one smile at a time.

Cherie Chan dominating the rope climbs!


Matt Chan during Ocean swim workout! He came in 1st for the swim:)

MEATLOAF

Alright, I know what you are thinking...Meatloaf? Yes, meatloaf is on the menu. This is by far the best meatloaf recipe I have ever found. This is my comfort food. Oh man this stuff is good! I made this recipe and had some squash noodles with it. This makes quite a bit, so it is perfect for taking with you to work for lunch. I actually have been eating this for breakfast too:)

MEATLOAF (Sweet Cheeks)

Ingrediants:
-1 teaspoon olive oil

-6 slices bacon, chopped

-1 medium red onion, chopped

-1 green bell pepper, chopped
-1 teaspoon crushed garlic
-3/4 cup almond meal

-1/2 cup coconut milk

-1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
-1 1/2 pounds ground beef (At least 93% lean)
-1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook 2 slices bacon, stirring, until almost crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add almond meal and coconut milk. Let cool.


Add ground meat and egg. Dive right in with those hands and mix it up! Transfer mixture to 2, 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and smooth top. Place remaining bacon slices over meatloaf. Bake until meatloaf is cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan 20 minutes before slicing. If you don't have the patience to let it cool and you cut into it right away like I did :) It will still be delicious, just a little crumbly.

Squash Noodles

There are so many nights that I get home from a long day at work and usually a hard work out at Verve, and the last thing I want to do is cook. BUT this is one of my "go to" veggie dishes that is simple and quick. I can make a lot of this at once and it goes perfect with any main dish.

I use Squash Noodles to replace pasta and it works like a charm! With the right sauce, these noodles are amazing!

Ingrediants:
- 2 yellow squash
- 2 Zuchini
- 1 T. EVOO
- 2 cloves garlic
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat EVOO in skillet over medium heat.
- Cut squash and zuchini into long noodle-like pieces. I usually cut the squash in half and then cut noodles from there.
- Place noodles and garlic in skillet and cook about 6-10 minutes over medium heat until noodles are tender




Here is my FAVORITE pasta sauce of all time! It is soooo good. Trust me. Buy this! No added sugar with all natural ingrediants. Simply amazing!

Cleaning out the Fridge Salad

I have put off going to the grocery store lately and that usually results in random things left in the fridge. I decided to put together a quick salad with what I had left. It actually turned out pretty good. With just a few ingrediants, I have come up with my "cleaning out the fridge salad."

Cleaning out the Fridge Salad:

Ingrediants:
-4 large boneless chicken breasts
-2 cups baby carrots
-3 stalks celery
-2 T. olive oil
-Chili Powder
-Salt
-Pepper

Directions:-Since it is summer and I am in a grilling mood, I grilled the chicken breasts on the grill for 10 minutes on each side on low-medium heat.
-Let chicken cool completely
-I cannot stand raw carrots, so I always roast mine. (But feel free to use raw carrots if your heart desires.) Turn oven on broil and place carrots on baking sheet. Sprinkle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste. (I love chili powder, so I used about 1 T.) Place baking sheet in middle of oven and cook for 10 minutes. Stir carrots and cook for additional 10 minutes till carrots are tender.
-Let carrots cool.
-Cut celery, carrots and chicken into small pieces and place in bowl.
-Pour over dressing (recipe below)and add salt and pepper to taste.
-Chill in fridge or serve warm in lettuce wraps:)

Dressing Recipe:

Ingrediants:
-2 T. Olive Oil
-4 T. balsamic
-1 egg yolk
-salt and pepper
-2 T. mustard

Directions:
This is a recipe that I literally just made up. I didn't measure anything, so the above measurements are a guesstimate. Please add more or less if you find necessary.
-Whisk olive oil and balsamic vineger together. Mix in mustard and egg yolk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thats it! Yes, it's a simple dressing to give the salad a little extra kick. I am not really a fan of ranch, blue cheese or anything like that anymore, so it is fun to experiment to find new healthy dressings. Oh and don't be afraid to add anything else to this salad that you happen to have hanging out in the fridge:)

Enjoy!

BBQ Beef

This is a new recipe that I tried today and fell in love with...Crockpot BBQ Beef! It was easy and absolutely amazing! With summer in full swing, I have been craving some good BBQ, BUT most of the BBQ sauce you buy in the store is crap. About 99% of store bought BBQ sauces use high fructose corn syrup as their main ingrediant. Awful. So today, I swept the internet for a healthy, but tasty BBQ sauce and I found it! Courtesey of Civilized Caveman. You will notice this has no sugar! This is a great recipe to make and then take to lunch during the week. Enjoy!

Crock Pot BBQ Beef:

Ingredients:3-5 Lb Boneless Chuck Roast
1 Large White Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Dried Basil (I didn't use because I didn't have it)
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Beef Broth

Directions:
-Mix all of your dry spices together in a mixing bowl and set aside
-Cut up your onions into large chunks and cut your peppers into long slices
-Toss all of your cuts of meat in the seasoning mixture and ensure you coat all sides of every piece of meat
-Using half of your vegetables, line the bottom of your crock pot and then place half of your meat on those vegetables
-Put the other half of your vegetables in your crock pot and then put in the rest of your meat
-Pour in your beef stock, cover and cook on low for 8 hours
-When the meat is done, remove all the meat pieces and vegetables and drain the crock pot
-Place all the meat back in and shred with two forks
-Pour in a whole batch of BBQ Sauce (recipe below) and mix well
-Cover and place on low for 30 minutes to let all the flavors mold together

BBQ Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:3 Tomatoes, Diced
1 White Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of garlic, Diced
1 6 Ounce can of Tomato Paste
1 Cup Beef Stock
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Cayenne

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients above in a sauce pan and place on stove over medium heat stirring frequently
-Once your sauce starts to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes
-Once your sauce has simmered, turn off the heat and pour your sauce into a blender or food processor and run until you get a nice smooth sauce consistency. (This is completely optional. I did not do this because I am lazy and it still tasted amazing.)
-Return to the pan to keep warm or place on the food of your choice
-Store in the refrigerator

MIA

Yes, Yes…I know! It’s been far too long. Although I have been completely slacking on my posts, I can assure you that I have not been slacking on life. I have been guilty of being a lover of life lately. It’s summer time, which means the mountains have been calling my name. I have God’s playground right at my backdoor. How lucky am I?



Even though I have been content with my life and I can’t really complain doesn’t mean I have had a few slumps along the way. I won’t get into the details of these less than spectacular events because they are irrelevant. However, what is important is the outcome. I’m fine! Yes, I got through it. And you know now that I think about it…I have been able to get through a lot over these past 24 years. All of those problems that I thought were so hard and I would never get through it alive…. turned out to be ok after all. My point is no matter how many times we hit the rough spot and we think our troubles are going to break us…they never really do. We are still here. Still breathing. And that in itself is a reason to cause celebration. Life throws EVERYONE curve balls. Some more than others. Is it fair? No, but its life. It’s like the old saying, “If everybody put their troubles in the middle of the room, you’d take a look around and pick your own back up again.”

It is easy for us to get caught up in our own issues that we forget everyone has them. For most of us, these issues go unseen. We keep them hidden. So here is my proposal…Smile, laugh, love and don’t forget to give a hug. Simple jesters can make a world of difference. After all, we all have our troubles and there is no reason why we can’t go down the beaten path together.

Happy Mother's Day!

"Mothers are God's gifts to us."

I have the greatest mom in the world. I am blessed beyond belief to have a role model like her in my life. So much love to her:)




Now here is a funny picture! All the Fenton girls with the Momma Fenton of them all. If you know these four girls...then you also know how stong Mimi was to raise these crazy girls! Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Is happiness a choice?

Think about this question for a second, “Is happiness a choice?” Do we chose to be happy or is it certain situations that make us happy? For most, I will say that it is specific encounters, circumstances, people, and materialistic things that make us happy. Our mind is extremely powerful at manipulating our thoughts and our feelings at any moment of any day. I am very guilty of focusing on the future. For some reason, I have it instilled in my brain that I need look ahead and work hard to get exactly where I want to be! I have been thinking about this question lately because I have found a new state of happiness in my life. I feel content as to where I am and who I am becoming. I am happy.

So am I happy because I have everything I want in this world? Hell no! I am happy because I have learned that happiness is a choice. I have the power to turn my life around at any time of the day. I have the power to look a negative situation square in the eyes and say, “Today you will not bring me down; today you will not interfere with my dreams; today I am choosing not to let the obstacles of life crush me. Today, I am choosing to smile.”

Life is hard. It’s hard for you, me, your friends, your family and the random person you pass down the street. Everyone has obstacles and everyone is faced with moments of weakness. It is at this time that we have the ability to make a decision. A decision to let the hardships of life take control of our mind and swarm us with negative thoughts and feelings or we can be strong. We can be strong enough to know that there isn’t anything worth a wasted day. Life is short. Take life’s challenges and look at them not as setbacks, but as opportunities to discover who you are. After all, success is not measured by the position one has reached in life; success is more so measured by obstacles in which one has overcome while trying to succeed.

Remember….the world always looks brighter behind a smile. Choose to be happy.

Something to think about....

What we believe we create. If we believe we need healing that implies
there is something wrong with us. My question is that, what do you
want to create? A belief in your imperfection and a need for healing
or an alignment with the perfect being of light you already are?

I Believe...

Yes, I know...I have sucked at posting lately. With the move, the CPA exam, new job and the Colorado Open this weekend, life has been crazy! Here is something that I used for my family's "meditation of the day" a couple of months ago. I just thought it would be a great reminder to us all! Enjoy:)

There are not too many things in life that I have a grasp on, but over
the last 23 years I have managed to figure a few things out. First I
have found that it is extremely important to find things that you
believe in. Believing allows you to find passion and purpose in life.
BELIEVE. Believe that life is a gift to you. Believe that you are
here to better the world. The great thing about believing is that you
don’t have to know how to get there or how it’s going to happen, but
by just having a true base in your life will automatically lead you in
the right direction whether you know it or not. So make a list of the
top things you truly believe in. Here is my top ten.

1.I believe that life is a gift from God. I must take this life and live it.

2.I believe in being selfish. I think it’s ok to put ourselves first
sometimes. So many people get caught up in worrying about the judgment
of others that they forget to take care of themselves and listen to
their heart. I believe in doing things that make ME happy and more
often than not that requires that I have to be selfish. And this is
ok!

3. I believe in my principles. The past couple of years, I have
learned how quickly you can lose everything. People can take your
home, business, car or other physical assets you may own. However, no
one can take your dignity, your character, your respect, or your
ethical responsibility. These are your core values that no one can
strip away from you. So let them take your personal belongings, but
don’t let them take your pride. Keep your values, even when it is
hard. Because in the end, when nothing else is left….you still have
you! You are made up of great characteristics that can lead and take
you anywhere in life.

4.I believe that everyone needs a Starbucks or piece of chocolate now and then.

5. I believe in being healthy and fit not for physical appearnace, but
in order to better my life. In order to be prepared for the curve
balls that are thrown at me. I am healthy and fit so that I can climb
the mountains of God’s country and mentally focus in on the beautiful
gifts I have been given. I am ready.

6.I believe in the United States of America. This is OUR country that
we have built based upon the core foundation of our founding
forefathers. I believe it is important not to forget our history and
where our country has been. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you are
republican, independent, or liberal, what matters is that we are ONE
and together we represent the United States of America.

7. I believe in family. Friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, and
teachers may come and go out of your life, but family is here to stay.
Family is your support base that allows you to grow. They believe in
you even when they know you are wrong. Family is a place to feel at
ease. Family is home.

8. I believe in forgiveness. Forgiveness is the path to success. I
have learned that the path may be bumpy and long, but forgiving allows
you to release negative energy and in turn you start experience more
bliss in your life.

9. I believe in change. New opportunities and experiences come with
change. Take a chance and try something new. You will be surprised
at what you can learn about yourself when you enter a place of
unknown. Change can bring a new light into your life that you never
knew existed.

10. Last and most important, I believe in NEVER letting yourself get
too comfortable. It is so easy to fall into a routine. I believe that
as soon as you get comfortable, then you should be scared. Scared that
you are missing out on something better; scared that you are not
thinking clearly; and scared that you are not living life to the
fullest. Push yourself out of the comfort zone, whether this is out
of a bad relationship that just has become comfortable or just pushing
yourself out of the normal routine. Don’t let your body be
comfortable. Continue to push yourself physically and mentally out of
that easy place. Be uncomfortable! You will find greater strength and
happiness in your life.


-Now take a moment....think about what do you truly believe in? What keeps you going everyday? What beliefs make you the person who you are or want to be? Please comment and a share a few of those beliefs!

Why am I so scared?

When did I turn into such a big scaredy cat? I have never been so scared or anxious about my life…then the way I feel at this very moment. Tears have been flowing out of my eyes way too easily. My heart feels empty and my brain is telling my heart that this feeling isn’t going to go away. Why am I scared? I am scared to step out of my box. I am scared to leave my favorite town in the whole world to move to Denver; I am afraid to leave my friends; I am afraid to leave my gym; and I am really afraid of being alone. Being alone is a very empty feeling. Even though, I have my best friend Deverie to experience my new journey with….I still feel alone. For some reason, I am not thinking logically. I have let my heart lead me into a scary place. Starting my new job as a CPA with the largest accounting firm in the state and the fourth largest in the world should be exciting. However, I am not thinking of that aspect. I can only think about all the things I am leaving behind.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we allow new adventures to scare us away? I should be looking at this with a clear mind, but my mind is too clouded with scary thoughts. My parents taught me to be a strong and independent woman. I shouldn’t ever have to rely on anyone but myself to get the job done. For the past five years, I have done just that. If I want something….then I get it! I work hard for what I want and the feeling of satisfaction I receive is amazing. It is nice to know that I have the power to go out and get it without any help. This time, things are different. I don’t want to do this by myself. I want help….I can’t believe I am about to say this, but I want someone to hold my hand through this process! Really?! Yes, how can Miss Independent go from always wanting to do everything by herself and for herself to needing someone to hold her hand? Not sure? I need to figure this out.

Tomorrow, I am officially an adult. I start my real job. You know the kind you work from 8-5 everyday. This last weekend, I chose to leave Fort Collins with a BANG! Actually, it was a BIG BANG. (This calls for another story…another time.) This past weekend was so bittersweet. I had the best weekend ever, which makes it even harder to say goodbye. All of my friends are going in different directions. I know that some of them I will never see again, others I will see every now and then, and there are just a few that I will see more often than not. Life goes on and the music keeps playing, whether or not we want it to. This is one of those times that I wish I could hit the pause button. Since I have no control over the music player….I must accept it and move on. I have to embrace this scary thing called change; I have to run with it and I have to own it.

I am the only one who can control my feelings. I am choosing to take this scary situation and turn it into something totally FAB!

Any words of wisdom for this scared 23 year-old?

Food for thought:
“The Master of Life’s been good to me. He has given me strength to face past illnesses, and victory in the face of defeat. He has given me life and joy where other saw oblivion. He has given new purpose to live for, new services to render and old wounds to heal. Life and love go on, let the music play.” Johnny Cash

Happy Fourth of July!

Celebrate...oh we will. Thank you forefathers! It is so important to remember how far we have come as a country. Please take this day to celebrate our freedom, while remembering those who have fought and are currently fighting for the United States of America. I am taking this day to celebrate my freedom by going for a run, having a great BBQ with my friends, enjoying a nice cup of Starbuck's coffee and then ending my great day with an amazing firework show. I am free to do all these things that make me happy because America stands for freedom! Ahhh....how lucky are we?!

Enjoy your day and take a moment to remember our history....

Background
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is the annual celebration of nationhood. It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
The Congress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2 but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence, originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with fellow committee members John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and William Livingston, until two days later. The celebration was initially modeled on that of the king’s birthday, which had been marked annually by bell ringing, bonfires, solemn processions and oratory. Such festivals had long played a significant role in the Anglo-American political tradition. Especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, when dynastic and religious controversies racked the British Empire (and much of the rest of Europe), the choice of which anniversaries of historic events were celebrated and which were lamented had clear political meanings. The ritual of toasting the king and other patriot-heroes—or of criticizing them—became an informal kind of political speech, further formalized in mid-18th century when the toasts given at taverns and banquets began to be reprinted in newspapers.

Early Years
In the early stages of the revolutionary movement in the colonies during the 1760s and early 1770s, patriots used such celebrations to proclaim their resistance to Parliament’s legislation while lauding the king as the real defender of English liberties. However, the marking of the first days of independence during the summer of 1776 actually took the form in many towns of a mock funeral for the king, whose “death” symbolized the end of monarchy and tyranny and the rebirth of liberty.
During the early years of the republic, Independence Day was commemorated with parades, oratory and toasting, in ceremonies that celebrated the existence of the new nation. These rites played an equally important role in the evolving federal political system. With the rise of informal political parties, they provided venues for leaders and constituents to tie local and national contests to independence and the issues facing the national polity. By the mid-1790s, the two nascent political parties held separate, partisan Independence Day festivals in most larger towns. Perhaps for this reason, Independence Day became the model for a series of (often short-lived) celebrations that sometimes contained more explicit political resonance, such as Washington’s birthday and the anniversary of Jefferson’s inauguration while he served as president (1801–09).

19th Century Celebrations
The bombastic torrent of words that characterized Independence Day during the 19th century made it both a serious occasion and one sometimes open to ridicule—like the increasingly popular and democratic political process itself in that period. With the growth and diversification of American society, the Fourth of July commemoration became a patriotic tradition which many groups—not just political parties—sought to claim. Abolitionists, women’s rights advocates, the temperance movement, and opponents of immigration (nativists) all seized the day and its observance, in the process often declaring that they could not celebrate with the entire community while an un-American perversion of their rights prevailed.

A Modern Holiday
With the rise of leisure, the Fourth also emerged as a major midsummer holiday. The prevalence of heavy drinking and the many injuries caused by setting off fireworks prompted reformers of the late 19th and the early 20th century to mount a Safe and Sane Fourth of July movement. During the later 20th century, although it remained a national holiday marked by parades, concerts of patriotic music and fireworks displays, Independence Day declined in importance as a venue for politics. It remains a potent symbol of national power and of specifically American qualities—even the freedom to stay at home and barbecue.
Copyright © 1994-2009 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.

Food for Thought:
“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country! ”
~ Daniel Webster

The Secret to You

This video is amazing and I don't need to add anything. Just watch this video and soak up all the great messages it is sending. My goal is to wake up every morning and watch this video. It's a great way to start your day off right! Enjoy:)

Nutrition is my constant battle

Nutrition. Today was another wake up call for me. For the past 17 days, I have been diligently writing down everything I eat along with how much I eat. It has been a big pain in the butt. I have always believed that your food should not be this complicated and hard. I should just eat and not have to worry. This is true, but lately I have fallen off the path of healthy eating and forgotten how to just eat right. My wonderful crossfit coaches told me to start a food log and after 2 weeks they would take a look at it. Well…today was the day. Even though I am doing the Whole30 program, I learned that there are still areas of improvement.

I have been trying to master my nutrition for the past 6 months. I have successfully cut out dairy (except butter), legumes, grains, and most processed foods. My sugar intake has been minimal and for the past 17 days it has NOT existed in my life. So what do I eat you ask? Meat, veggies, nuts, seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Some people refer to this as paleo/caveman diet, but I just call this a healthy and natural way of eating. It is NOT a diet, but a lifestyle change to improve my overall health.

Even though I have been eating all awesome things for my body, I have been going crazy on the nuts and nut butters. Uh-Oh! When sugar is removed from our daily lives…we crave it! I have been filling that void with lots and lots of fat, and I also some fruit. These two combo’s together without any protein are BAD. The fruit is a carbohydrate, which causes my insulin to go up and it tells my body to store. Then when I add some fat in there….my body will instantly store the fat. So for the past week, I have been allowing my body to store fat with no way for it to be released. Ughhh!! This just pisses me off.

Coach Brad told me to back off the nuts. My problem is that I love almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and macadamia nuts so much that I just can’t eat a few. I always devour them with no ability to stop myself. My solution: Get those nuts out of the house! I immediately went home and through away all the nuts and nut butters I had in my panty. Eliminating them completely is the only way for me to break this habit. I am now going to replace the fat I got from nuts with avocados, olives, olive oil, coconut oil and coconut. I find that I can’t really over eat on these fats like I could on nuts.

What did I learn? I learned that nutrition is a CONSTANT battle. There is always room for improvement and always changes to be made. It can be completely frustrating at times and can even get to the point where you just want to say F*#! it. Trust me…I have been to this point several times. It always takes me a moment to realize and remember how I felt when I ate “dirty.” I was tired, lethargic, weak, and just gross! Eating right has improved my life. It hasn’t been easy, but then again if eating right was easy then we wouldn’t have this obesity pandemic. Nutrition is a constant battle for everyone. There are always going to highs and lows. If you fall off….no worries! You just have to get right back on!

Food for Thought:
"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” -La Rochefoucauld

Safety Box

Spring is in the air in Fort Collins today. The park was busy with families and friends gathering together to enjoy this wonderful world we live in. The sun is out and shining its beautiful light down upon us all. As I sit here, I can’t help but smile. Everyone is so happy and all the anxiety in day to day life is removed. Today the world seems perfect.

It is days like these that I look forward to in my life, a day of peace and relaxation. It is so easy for people to get caught up in life, while forgetting to LIVE IT! I think that everyone gets in such a routine and a comfort zone that they are just able to go through the motions. But what happened to fun and excitement? Well, it slowly disappears because we are trapped by our own habits that we created. Unconsciously, we keep ourselves locked in a box. The box represents our safety zone; a place that we grow to know everything inside; a place that we know will not throw any surprises at us; a place of comfort.

Imagine your life differently…yes, I know this is hard. We are so use to this safety box that it has actually hindered our ability to think outside of it, but I challenge you to make a change today. Step outside of your box into the world of the unknown. Change is hard, but change is good. It helps build your confidence, improves your outlook on life, provides new experiences that facilitates learning and personal growth, and it opens the door to new opportunities. The hardest part of making a change is taking that first step, but I can assure you that once you take that first step out of the fear….then life can stimulating and fun.

My mom called me this morning in tears. These were tears joy and fear. She is about to embark on a wonderful change in her life. Recently, my mom has decided to accept a new job in a new town away from where we call home. She is happy that a new opportunity has opened up, but she is scared to leave her comfort zone. This comfort zone represents 30 years of her life. It’s a place that warms her heart and carries countless memories. To say the least, this change is going to be rough. The crazy thing about change is that affects everyone. Not just the person experiencing it, but the people you surround yourself with in your life. This particular change will affect my family, my mom’s friends, co-workers, and even our adorable dogs. This new experience can be ABSOLUTELY frightening to everyone. Change is uncomfortable and in turn we automatically hate it! However, my mom did remind me that when BIG changes take place in our life, it is extremely important to keep your support system close.

Change does not have to be a bad thing. I think that there is ALWAYS something good that comes from it. Change requires you to think about life in a new way. It allows you to discover new things about the world and yourself. You can make a change today!

Start with baby steps. Change can be gradual and it doesn’t have to be big.

1. Start changing the little details in your life. Maybe take a new route to work, try a new restaurant, wear something you wouldn’t normally wear, or listen to new music. These changes may seem small and irrelevant, but they will help guide you later and make you less hesitant to try a bigger change. They will also help you get use to how change feels. Change is awkward and scary. The more you can experience change, the less terrifying it will be for you to step outside of your box.

2. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself. We are often held back by the fears of being judged by others. Who cares?! Go out and do it for yourself, not for the for a complete stranger who knows nothing about you. Act goofy for once. Everyone knows that no one is perfect and I bet you if you let people see your “foolish,” or crazy side…they will learn to love those imperfections because it makes you exciting and fun to be around.

3. Enjoy the ride. Once you can step outside of your box into the unknown, your life will become a rollercoaster. There will be ups and downs with twists and turns, but it will only make you a stronger individual. This new ride will help you grow to better understand yourself and encourage your inner soul to fly. Remember life is too short to stand around, so hop on the rollercoaster and enjoy the ride.

I encourage you to be curious about life. Soak up all it has to offer and break down your barriers. Let good thoughts rush through your mind. Capitalize on every single day.

I am going to leave you with a quote from my mom as food for thought…
"Have fun. Seek adventure. Change your life in a wonderful way!" -Mom