Why I Haven't Been Updating & an Update

1. Honestly, for the most part it feels like I'm talking to myself. Blogging is such an interesting concept: to write and speak into a computer/internet world and hope it reaches people, much different than other social media platform.
2. This ish is a lot of work and I'm not fancy when it comes to graphics like I probably should be when it comes to blogging. It shouldn't take as much effort to put pics on here as it does for me, yet I'm also not that into learning new ways to be fancy with the graphics...
3. Yelp has taken over my life. I check-in and review just about everything these days and that allows me to get my fix from other people who love food just as much as me. I'm not the crazy Yelper who reviews everything like gas stations, but I will review a grocery store from time to time. Also, I've been receiving some perks thanks to Yelp, so my whole "Yelp famous" dream may come to fruition soon...or later. I enjoy Yelp because it's a Foodie's paradise, other people who love food just as much as you and are honesty about the establishments they frequent/patronize.
4. I post food pics on IG all the time, so it feels kinda redundant to post them on here. I don't like redundancy, do you?

As far as an update on my "food life," this week I begin my Monday and Wednesday plant-based diet. Meaning, I'm cutting meat outta my meals on those days, so far I still have Greek yogurt in my fridge, but I plan to switch to So Dairy's cultured coconut/almond milk (whichever has the least fat and most nutrient content). I still have cheese in my fridge too, but yall already know I only touch that on the weekends, but this week I may make an exception because I bought some fancy (Peppered Bellavitano) cheese from Whole Foods because they're hand-cut cheeses were 20% off. I already have some stewed tomatoes in the fridge and a grilled cheese would go perfectly with it :) The Engine 2 diet event I attend at Whole Foods (sponsored by Yelp) and my immersion in The China Study is going to turn me into an animal-based protein diet heretic.

This Monday and Wednesday I'm eating a quesadilla filled with avocado, spicy black beans, sweet yellow onions, spinach, and cilantro. I ate it last night for dinner and what I miss most from the quesadilla is cheese :( I spread Greek yogurt and tomato salsa on it so it definitely didn't lack flavor. For my other 3 meals for the work week I made BBQ shredded chicken, stuffed that and sautéed mushrooms into a sweet potato and it's served with some lentils and lemon pepper asparagus. YUMMMM!!!!! It took me forever to make all of this last night, but I realized as I was stuffing my sweet potato that I only used maybe 1/4th cup of chicken. The lentils will provide me all the protein I need. For breakfast this morning I had an egg-white sammich with sautéed mushrooms and yellow onions, a little grape jelly (sans the high fructose corn syrup) and baked sweet potato fries. YUM! I didn't miss the cheese on the sandwich either because my palate is used to breakfast sandwiches without cheese, but also the mushrooms gave it soooooo much flavor.

Enjoy your week folks and challenge yourself to incorporate a health change into your diet.

What I'm Here for This Week...

1. Jazmine Sullivan's "Reality Show" album

After listening to this album, I'm really disappointed in myself for not knowing she released an album in 2010. I knew she took a hiatus from the industry, she had some long rant about how the industry was raggedy years ago, and said she wasn't going to make any more music. So this album, when you listen to it is nothing but shade to the industry: reality show personalities, folks who change once they get money, chics who are only good for their fake bodies, and more. It's been out for about a week and I already know a good portion of the words... O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D

 

2. American Sniper

 I've never heard people exit a movie theatre or any other public venue in COMPLETE silence like that before. The reverence was indescribable. Some folks are saying it glorifies war, I honestly didn't see that, (of course) I watched it through clinical eyes. In the background, it depicted how multiple tours of duty increases the likelihood of PTSD or PTSResponses. I'm going to suggest the movie to my dad (retired Air Force), but I have a feeling he may cry.

 

3. King Size Recliners

The movie theatre Justyn and I go to, now has King Size reclining chairs. My word! What an awesome invention. sheesh! They even require you to reserve your seat when you buy your ticket now. If your Regal theatre doesn't have these chairs, then is it really regal?! I say, no.

 

4. Coupons (as always)

Thanks to a paper I had from maybe 3 weeks ago that was valued at $600+ I was able to rack up on multiple products. For example, Target has DOVE body wash/bar soap priced a little over $5, with their sale being buy 4 get 1 $5 gift card. I had 8 coupons, 4 body wash, 4 bar soap. So I bought 8 items and got 2 $5 gift cards. I separated my transactions, so I could use the gift cards on my other purchases and reduce my expenses for that day. Another example, craisins were priced at $2 at Shoppers, I had a BOGO coupon and also a save $1 off the bag of craisins. Meaning the BOGO coupons applies to the free item and the $1 off coupon applies to the one you're paying for. So I got 4 containers of craisins for $2. Yes, I eat craisins like that, I like them on my salads. I bought the 50% less sugar ones too :) Also, Justyn and I got to see American Sniper for free thanks to Regal gift certificates I received for Christmas, then we had BOGO Chipotle for dinner :)

 

5. Space Heaters

My "light bill" was a consistent $70 or less summer-fall because I keep my air off when I'm not home. Until one day I came home and it was 56 degrees in my house, I couldn't take it, so I left it running at about 67 or so, bill rose to $91 then to $142. *clutches pearls* So my dad came in town on Saturday morning and of course being the good man/father he is, he went and bought me this fancy shmancy space heater. It heats my entire house. I'm currently experimenting, my heat is off while at work, and I will run the space heater when I get home and see how warm my house gets.

 

6. Sister Time

My line sisters. It's always endless laughs with them. I truly love them and am blessed to have them as sisters.