How is everyone today? I am a little cranky as I woke up to an empty bag of coffee! To be truthful, I knew when I went to sleep last night that we only had a dusting of grinds left, but I remained hopeful that perhaps PJ would get up before me and grab us coffee ( or that a little elf would deliver me a fresh bag while I was fast asleep... one can dream!). I cannot function in the morning without my cup of strong coffee. My mother and father can attest to this as whenever I spend time at their house I critique the lack of "body" their coffee has. AKA... I need more caffeine. Note** If I do attempt to function, converse, or make decisions while not properly caffeinated, it never ends well. These are things that I feel you should know about me (and that thankfully PJ has learned!). PJ did go out an get us coffee after we woke up, which I preceded to spill all over the kitchen while making our lunches. Fail. However, I had to laugh at myself and my unwavering clumsiness. If I'm in the kitchen, you will undoubtedly hear a consistent stream of "OOPS's!" echoing throughout our apartment.
On the food front, I have a couple of things to share from Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday evening I made a delicious spicy kale salad,roasted butternut squash, and organic mustard glazed salmon. SO good and easy. Isn't it amazing how adding a few fluffy adjectives makes one's dinner sound like it comes from a 5 star restaurant? Try it. It works.
Kale Salad with a Kick
(adapted from Mind Body Green)
* I didn't used craisins instead of currants because that's what I had.
Simple Roasted Butternut Squash
For the salmon, I simply seasoned it and coated it with spicy mustard and broiled it until it was 126 degrees. I live for my meat thermometer.
Then I re purposed the leftover butternut squash and added it to my lunch yesterday. This pic is from the very end of my salad as I hoovered it before realizing that I never snapped a photo. Butternut squash, radishes, edamame, pecans, tomatoes, greens, and some yummy home made vinaigrette.
Last evening after practicing a little yoga, I made this delish dinner. Farro and chicken sausage stuffed acorn squash. My picture does not do it justice; click the link to the recipe and you will see a gorgeous photo!This dish was absolutely fantastic...so flavorful, filling, and yummy! I highly recommend making this. **Note** I used pre-cooked chicken sausage to cut down on time.
Random pic from the bottom of my street. I Love that I can walk out my door and see the freedom tower. This picture is actually the perfect segue into the next thought that I want to share with you. As many of you may remember from my previous blog entries, I love Mind Body Green. I read this site every morning. Yesterday, I read an article that I literally can not stop thinking about. I guarantee the words below will change the way you approach your life. It certainly has shifted my perspective. PLEASE read it :)
10 Regrets No One Has At The End Of Life
BY ALICE NICHOLLS
DECEMBER 10, 2013 4:34 AM EST
DECEMBER 10, 2013 4:34 AM EST
Life is fleeting and for most of us, the time we pass away is unknown. When the time comes to depart this life, wouldn't you want to have experienced wonder? Challenged yourself and been challenged by situations that saw you rise?
How would it feel to be able to look back and think that you'd made the most of your life and are at peace with how you lived it? To be able to look at the risks, the knocks, the falls and triumphs and know your heart and soul was out there on the court, playing for keeps every single time.
Here's a neat little list of 10 deathbed confessions you will never hear (and why) to inspire you into kick-butt action!
1. I wish I hadn't connected with myself as much as I did.
Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness bring people to a level of consciousness and deep fulfillment that makes each moment a perfect possibility. It's hard to lead a positive life with a negative mindset. Looking within is an ultimate step to living a happy life.
2. I wish I'd spent more time on Facebook.
Seriously, life is so much more enjoyable when your five senses are involved. See, taste, touch, smell, hear. You can only do this when you're out there in the real world.
3. I wish I hadn't treated others with compassion.
When we give selflessly to the world, the universe gives wonderful things back to us in abundance. When we show compassion, we invite compassion to be shown to ourselves. To enrich anothers life without expectation is to experience true freedom.
4. I sure wish I hadn't told my husband/wife that I loved them so much.
To travel through life with a partner, a soulmate, a best friend is a wonderful experience. Love never runs out, so the more you give, the more there is to give. The more you accept, the more there is to accept. Never be afraid to say it if you mean it. Go fearlessly where love is involved because you can't wear it out. And if you do leave a loved one behind, your legacy of giving love will forever be cherished.
5. I wish I hadn't spent so much time with my children.
Just as you are a child who would like to be cherished, so too do your children want the same. Your influence helps to shape them today and the influence they make themselves in the future. It's easier for you to support your child today than it is for them to heal from hurt when they are older. Make it count.
6. I really, really, really wished I'd spent more time in the office.
This is among the top two regrets of the dying as documented by Bronnie Ware from Inspiration and Chai. Now that we have more equal numbers in the workforce, it's imperative that we realize that no second chance is coming around. Simplify your life, leave space, and make conscious choices. You do not need the amount of money (and stress) that you think you do.
7. I wish I hadn't experienced Mother Nature as much as I did.
There is nothing as uncontrollable nor as grounding as Mother Nature in her finest. When asked where people feel their most free, the answer almost always involves being outdoors. There is a great reason for this. The energy, and the freedom that nature provides is unparalleled. Like the piece of grass that grows between the cracks of pavement, the endless swell crashing to the shore or the huge swaying trees in an old growth forest. She nourishes, invigorates, and frees those that go and dwell in her.
8. I wish I hadn't treated my body so well.
We may own five or more cars in our lifetime, get them serviced, and make sure the oil is checked every few thousand miles or so, yet we have one vehicle to really live that life in and sometimes we don't treat it one quarter as good. The health and wellness of our physical self is imperative to being able to live life to the fullest. Take steps towards achieving whole health and you will never regret it.
9. I wish I hadn't followed my dreams.
Following your dreams can be really scary. Fear holds more people back from finding their callingfinding their calling and living the happiest and most connected life than any other obstacle. Not all dreams are fulfilled, however, the path you are taken on is always the right one for you and overcoming obstacles are what maketh a man or woman. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
10. I wish I hadn't spent as much time with the ones I love.
Enjoy their company. Share time, joy, stories, connection and warmth. Call your friend, hug your husband. Support and love one another for sorrow shared is half and happiness shared is doubled.
Something to think about:
Have a beautiful day, kids!
xoxo
Sarah
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