I was watching just a smidge of Ellen yesterday and she was giving away some of her favorite things to the audience. Now, I am not an Ellen watcher but I was intrigued to see what some of those things were and pleasantly surprised at what she chose. It made me think about what I might give away if I had the chance to share some of the things I love with the ones I love.
Now I am not a material girl in the least so the list of actual objects would be small but I do have some things that I love to do, read and yes- even buy that others might enjoy, so going into 2012 I thought I might share a few of my favorite things with you! Besides I have to dust today and I don't feel like it yet…
The Practice of the Presence of God
I told you last week that I really love Stephen King and I wasn't pulling your leg, I really do- but when I read him, I call that "junk" reading. That is no reflection on his writing it is just that I don't get much food for my life out of it, it is like junk food. Not much nutrition but fun to eat.
Usually, I have one "junk" book and one "real" book going at the same time; I am reading "Water for Elephants" right now since finishing "11/22/63" before Christmas. My "real" book is just that; real. Something that helps me in my every day, REAL life and I usually read that as part of my devotional time in the mornings when I reflect, pray and read my bible. I was searching for such a book one day in the library when I came across an old battered copy of this one. Old, battered books will immediately win my heart over every time, there is just nothing like them. This book is a series of interviews and letters with a 17th century monk- Brother Lawrence. He was an extremely humble man that had a unique relationship with God and a very simplified way of living out his faith. Every time I read it I am reminded what we (man) have made religion and the church and how different that is from what its original form looked like. It was also my first real brush with the Catholic faith, which I have come to love and respect deeply even though I am not Catholic myself (even though my husband calls me a "closet Catholic" J)
I read and re-read this until I bought my own copy but I have never been able to find that original version again. The newer ones are more modern but the old language made it so much richer. It is unusual for me to buy a book because generally, I don't re-read much. But this one is special and I try and read it once a year, at the very least. It is small so that is very do-able. If you follow me on Facebook you will know when I am reading it because I quote it often, you could literally quote the whole book- it is just that relevant.
Avocado Toast, Earth Bound Farms salad greens and diet ginger-ale
Although I am not an Ellen watcher I am a Dr. Oz watcher. I don't watch him every day because I don't watch anything every day, I am just not a TV watcher (this is how I keep my house clean by the way…) but IF I were going to, his would be a show I would include.
Last week he was talking about women, aging and belly fat. Three subjects near and dear to my heart J; so I tuned in. He was giving the audience a recipe for a pasta dish you can eat in the morning which I looked up online and tried. (So far I haven't been impressed) BUT while I was cruising around the recipes, I happened on one for Avocado Toast. I tried it and it is SO good!
You take a piece of WW toast; slice one half of an avocado up and lay it across the toast. Then you squeeze a lemon wedge over the top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then drizzle with olive oil. It is HEAVEN. I have to make myself just eat one piece because avocados are so high in calories, so I made that my new reward for going to the gym in the morning like a good girl. I use coarse salt which I think is nice, but you can use what you have.
I am also trying to keep my fiber intake up to 25 grams like he suggests, so that has been a challenge. For a girl like me who is watching calories; it makes you think about everything you put in your mouth. To get bread with real fiber (6 grams a slice) I had to also get one with 120 calories a slice!! It's worth it because it is really yummy bread but its killing me in the avocado toast dept…. Oh well, one piece should really be enough anyway…… dang it.
I love Meijer too and one reason is that they have these clam shells of organic salad greens in their produce department from Earth Bound Farms. They are pricey but there really is a lot of salad squeezed in there. Brian and I usually eat about 1 large clam shell every 2 weeks; or at least we try to. I sneak as many greens in on him as I can-poor guy! The clam shell keeps better than the bagged salads too but always look at the dates and grab one with a longer range (old stock is generally out front, newer toward the back)
Walmart has them too but I am not sure about the larger size… I know that I have purchased the smaller ones there. And I don't think they were Earth Bound Farms either. The one I buy runs about 5$ for the 1 lb. size. If I am feeling cheap one week, then I stick to Romaine hearts and Aldi's is the best place for those most of the time. My favorite way to eat my "greens" is with lemon juice (fresh squeeze), olive oil and salt and pepper (sound familiar??) I have almost persuaded Brian that this is the best way too- so that makes me double happy. Trying to keep my fella around for a llloooonnngggg time!
Also, Canada Dry Ginger Ale has become just about the only pop that we drink. I would like to say I don't drink diet because I know it's not good for me, but sugary pop makes me sick. They have a cranberry ginger ale too that is good. We don't drink a whole lot of pop, but this is fast becoming our favorite.
Applebee's
I am not crazy about chain restaurants (as you will see below; I love little, local places) BUT Applebee's has some of the best choices for getting a real, healthy dinner that isn't soup and salad. They have some Weight Watcher endorsed meals that are really very good, and some other things that they list calories and fat next to, which I like. That irritates people but I am grateful for it. I may still choose to ignore it, but at least it is there
Yellow Tail Merlot and Franzia Chardonnay
I am a wine lover and I am not ashamed of that. I think Christians have made way to much fuss over the wrong stuff for WAY too long. We have turned into a bunch of prudes that nobody except other Christians want to be around and that is even iffy. I ask you- what good is that??? We need to stop spending so much time judging other people for what they do and start looking at what we don't do. I make way too many mistakes to start pointing out yours- real or perceived; but that is just my opinion. Don't read this section if it gets your knickers in a knot…. My feelings won't be hurt in the least bit.
I remember being at a bonfire one summer and a girl I worked with bringing Yellow Tail Merlot. She tried to get me to try it but back then I was only drinking Oliver and bubbly stuff. Finally, after a couple glasses of the "bubbly stuff" (and lots of food) she persuaded me and I am so glad she did! It is an inexpensive, berry filled wine with a vanilla aftertaste. It kind of fills your mouth up with flavor. Even Brian likes it and he isn't a Merlot guy. Really good with a steak or a red sauced pasta- Yum!
The other thing that we have discovered is there are a couple really good boxed wines out there. There may actually be more, but boxes are kind of intimidating so we haven't tried many. It's A LOT of wine to take the risk of not liking. A while back, Brian and I read an article about boxed wine in a local entertainment paper called the "Whatz Up?" and we decided to try one that was mentioned: Franzia. We have tried a couple different varietals but settled on the Chardonnay as one that we almost always keep in our frig for dinner or unexpected guests, or just to relax with. Contrary to popular belief that boxed wines are cheap and unpalatable, this wine was dubbed "chuggable" by the article and has proven to live up to that by being a very drinkable, likeable wine. Our daughter-in-law; Chelsea, who is kind of a sweet-bubbly wine drinker even likes it. They also have one called Sunset Blush that is a sweeter, white zinfandel that would probably please a room full of most of your girlfriends too-so keep that in mind for a girls night or a wine punch.
For those local to the Fort (Fort Wayne) these are for you! I love my city and it has been an excellent place to raise a family and now enjoy my grandchildren. TONS of stuff to do!
Mad Anthony's on Broadway
Many of you that know me are not surprised I said this first. It is my absolute fav place to eat in Fort Wayne. M A's brews their own beer which is OUT of this world (BTW- I like mine dark and thick, with a hint of coffee and chocolate taste and a creamy head!! YUM! No girly brews for me…..) Besides the beer; the food is outstanding. My favorites are Scotch Eggs and Cheese Curds (for appetizers) and the house salad (mixed greens with red beans and rice on top- great with salsa instead of dressing) or any of the Flat Bread Pizzas. Since I like to eat a little lighter at dinner, if I really want a burger I can usually talk my hubby into splitting their version of a black and blue burger J Just the thought of that and dark beer makes me smile. My husband will tell you that I am partial to the pierced and tattooed wait staff too and that would be correct. If I could pick one place in town to eat every night- it would be here.
Arena Dinner Theater
I don't go here nearly as often as I would like to because sadly it has gotten so expensive that now it has become a rare treat. I used to buy season tickets when my kids were small and then take turns taking them with me. The last I checked it was 35 dollars a person. This is for a very nice dinner and a good play with local actors. They have a website you can visit for details but it is always a good time. Just make sure you check out the play ahead of time so you know it is something you might be interested in. I will sit through anything once, but not everyone is like that. There is a very reasonable cash bar (also for pop) but you get coffee, iced tea and water included with your meal. You can order tickets online or by calling the box office, with a credit card. Check it out, you won't be sorry.
DOWNTOWN!!!!
I started to list everything I love about downtown Fort Wayne but that would take forever. All the eateries (JK's, Dash-In, ect, ect…) all the festivals, the Tin caps and Rock the Plaza!! Just to name a few…. Ok, I am going to talk about Rock the Plaza and the onslaught of great local talent the Fort has…
If you have never been to Rock the Plaza during the summer on the lawn at the main branch of the Allen County Library, you are missing one of the best kept FREE secrets in Fort Wayne. It is a family friendly atmosphere, with wonderful local musicians that play (usually) from 7-10 pm. You can bring your own snacks (I have seen people bring whole dinners) but they usually have food of some kind for sale down there along with a beer vendor. Dunkin Donuts is also in the library and they stay open later on those nights. B.Y.O.- blankets, lawn chairs, ect. This summer you can get a copy of the local "Whatz Up?" paper to see who is playing and when. It's a rockin good time- ALL types of music.
Other than that there is Art in the Park (the actual Art Museum too), Lunch on the Square (Fridays during the summer at Frieman Square; also local musical entertainment), the open market (these are ALL over Fort Wayne)
See? I am doing it anyway and it is impossible to list everything great about downtown. I want to move down there but so far haven't been able to convince my hubby.
Taylor's Dream
This is what is called a "Splash" park on Lake Ave. and again FREE!!! I don't want to butcher it by trying to tell you the story of the girl that created it because I am sure I would mess it up, but this a beautiful spot for kids to play in water and on wonderfully different playground equipment that is handicap accessible (you can read Taylor's wonderful story either at the park or online). My grand girls LOVE it here, especially Lucy who is a little leery of pools yet. She can get cooled off and play and it is just plain fun without the danger of deep water. It's nice for me too because it is easier to supervise. Pack a picnic because there are covered picnic tables too. There are also clean restrooms with plenty of room for changing diapers or wet bathing suits. The only thing I would say is that some type of shoe is a must. I like the cheaper version of crocs and I keep them at my house for the girls. It is beautiful there mostly because much of the play area is covered in astro-turf (that is an old school term, it may have an actual name) which is very green but gets very hot on little feet. Other than that you see all ages there, from babies on up. So much fun!
OH! Also pack sunscreen- not much shade other than the picnic areas. I forgot this one time only, now Gigi keeps it in her truck…
Well, reading over this I know that I have not included everything that I wanted share. I didn't talk about my church (Life Bridge) that I deeply love, or my dentist Dr. George Cooper who I owe the fact that I have teeth to (Bulimics better have an awesome dentist- I will talk about that next blog!) but stick around and I am sure they will come up eventually on this journey because I owe so much to them both.
Enough said- unfortunately it's time to dust!!!
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