Holidays and Happiness!

The beginning of the holidays!!

I think she is asking what I am making her for dinner! 

This time last year was very different for for many reasons. I still ate meat this time last year. I also was very sick almost all the time, I had stomach aches, severe nausea, vertigo, body aches, headaches, and exhaustion. I was so sick in fact that I almost quit school in order to get better because I was doing so terrible on tests from being sick all the time. Its a little hard to read a book or look at a computer when after 5 minutes it makes you want to throw up. This year is so much better! 

Yes I know my hair is orange but hey it went with season right!

Also these two beautiful women in the picture and I were bridesmaids in another beautiful woman's wedding this past weekend! It was great feeling a little more normal then last year! Still some symptoms but definitely better.

But back to Thanksgiving! 

It was the first time I made a family dinner gluten free and vegetarian! It was so good and yes that is my very own Tofu with Pomegranate/blueberry sauce recipe. I will share that later though.

 Yep that's a bowl alright!

Hmmm maybe mommy left some food in there....

And more yummy food!

So now that I am getting this gluten/dairy free thing under control Christmas will be a piece of cake. I hope my training for that 1/2 marathon will be as well :/ we will see!

Tuesday Tea Talk

Good Morning! So I was thinking the other day about the love for tea my mother and aunt instilled in my sister and I growing up. The funny thing is I didn't even like tea until the last few years but I drank it whole heartedly because of all the warm memories it brought back. My great grandmother left all the women in the family hand painted tea cups and it was so much fun when my aunt would bring them  out on a tray, with tea and creamer (flavored ones of course). The cups are beautiful and the moments we shared drinking from them were wonderful. Tea time was always a great way to chat and share with each other. 

Which is what brought me to come up with Tuesday Tea Talk. My sister and I still have our tea time together talking about our troubles and our successes and I would love to share that time with all of you. Okay so there are not a lot of you yet but there will be and I hope that Tuesday Tea Talk will grow into something great. 

I love this daily devotional for women!

Lately things have been well stressful. Its not easy going to school and working, much less paying for school and everything else. There are days I can get so frustrated I can't even sleep that night, thinking of all the things I am worried about paying or needing to get done or the fact that my husband refuses to get his wisdom teeth out or fix his cavity and because I am a nursing student I know how your oral health affects your over all health. Does that sound crazy?! Yes it does :/ and yeah I am a bit of a worry wart! So what does my new daily devotional book have to do with all of that? Everything! Just read the title: 

"Delight yourself in the Lord... even on Bad Hair Days" written by Sandra D. Bricker, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Debby Mayne, and Trish Perry

This book has been a great reminder that even on my worst days God has a plan for me and its going to be okay! My new doctor recently told me to find ways to relax and clear my mind at night, so before bed I read this book and clear my crazy head. 

On a side note my wonderful theory instructor sent me home with these:

My favorite candy!!!

She had passed them around to the whole class starting with me and I guess the excited look on my face and the fact that I said I didn't want to share them may have led her to believe I would enjoy taking the rest home. Yes I did! Don't tell the Hubby! Oh yeah he reads this.....oops!

What makes you feel crazy? Are you a worry wart like me?

Its Finally Fall!!

YAY IT’S FALL!!

I know I live in Southern California and it was like 90 degrees outside today but  it still has that smell and feel in the air. Well, at least it feels like fall in my house because I started buying butternut squash and pumpkin 3 weeks ago (I love fall and have been waiting all summer for it) and last night I finally used one of them! Can we say Yummy Butternut Squash soup?! Yes, please and thank you?

Doesn’t that look so yummy! Sorry for the bad picture but I had to take it with my phone! Not so bad for a phone though.

Would you like the very yummy recipe? Well, okay fine I will share:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP:

INGREDIENTS:

1 Butternut squash

1 medium onion- diced

1 medium potato or you can use 2 small ones- diced

1 celery stalk- diced

1 Medium carrot- diced

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

16 oz low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pepper and Salt to your liking

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Take squash and poke all over with a fork and place in preheated oven on a baking sheet. 

While that is cooking heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in pan and cut up and add veggies to pan. Cook until carrots and potatoes are soft and onions are translucent. Set aside when done.

When squash is done take it out and cut in half and scoop out seeds and stringy stuff and discard. Then scoop out the meat and put it in the blender along with the vegetables. Add broth and Blend until smooth.

Place and in heated pot add almond milk and seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

What are your favorite fall foods?