Curried Tomato and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Cupcake, Flowers & Spices

Yum!

Happy Bday To Me!

This weekend Wellness had an open house with five guest chefs. It was an exciting weekend. Our first chefs were an Indian couple who taught classes at University of Memphis. They inspired me by their scrumptious array of spices to make an Indian style dish for the week. Minus the 2 sticks of butter and 1/2 LB of salt (our members were all wide eyed and jaws dropped as they watched our guest pour the salt over the melting stick of butter...can we eat this they mouthed?..guess that means we've taught them a little something at least!)

Off the dinner at Bari with the parents!

Sunday: Church, Sports, Politics and Friday the 13th

Sundays are weird. I like schedule and patterns and Sundays don't have either. 

In 321 emperor Constantine established a seven day week and designated Sunday as the beginning of the week (i guess i should blame him). The days to follow were called Moon’s-day, Mars’s-day, Mercury’s-day, Jupiter’s-day, Venus’-day, and Saturn’s-day.

So Sunday is the start of a new week, the day over 40% of Americans attend church (yes i looked up that statistic),when most NFL football games are played, the day golf tournaments traditionally end, the day all national and regional elections in Peru and Belgium are held (voting is mandatory in these two countries), the Sunday paper is always more detailed and includes a magazine, color comics and coupons and last but not least any month that starts with a Sunday will always have a Friday the 13th. 

See Sundays are weird. 

My Sunday was filled with none of these traditional Sunday activities. Even though I would like to start attending Church again. I haven't found my niche yet and therefore have not attended church regularly for over 4 years (a little thing called college kept seeming to sneak up and get in the way. not sure what the excuse is now.)

Today I cleaned, bought a reusable coffee cup, reusable plastic water cup with straw and batteries, went grocery shopping, did some early spring cleaning and cooked. Finally the scary unregimented Sunday is over and we can happily continue on with our precisely planned Monday. 

Recipes: 

Dinner: Ginger-Chicken Soup with Cashew Butter, Sweet Potatoes and Greens with a Side of Fresh Mangos and Pears 

Snack Bars 

Photos from Past Recipes:

Fruit and Nut Snack Bars

Carob Avocado Pudding with Grapes, Dried Cranberries and Sunflower Seeds

Pumpkin Pie...Kids don't like pumpkin pie

it was a big deal for me to share this blog with my family. so i'm not sure if i will ever share it with all of never-neverland (aka internet-land). it could be because i've cringed while reading so many bad blogs in the past or because i held out so long and now everyone and their mom (same applies for facebook mother) has a blog or the fact that growing up i always thought the papers i wrote were so insightful, heartfelt and down right A+ deserving papers and they would always come back with a big disapproving  "pumpkin pie...kids don't like pumpkin pie." stamp right on top of the paper.

Well obviously my teachers didn't have a stamp that said "pumpkin pie," but pumpkin pie refers to a more recent "put yourself out there" epidemic that received immediate shut down (no need to explain the literal meaning of the pumpkin pie story those parties involved will immediately understand). So needless to say those of you that are reading choose your words wisely, because remember "she maybe small, but she sure is mighty." -Robin Williams (in direct reference to me)



Two more classes to go and then I'm home free! Been looking up recipes for gluten and dairy free vegan fruit and nut bars all day so i can bring some on my trip to charleston. found a few interesting ones i may adapt. should be an exciting night ahead. will keep you posted. will be heading straight to whole foods after work (it is quite possible a trip to whole foods might push me over the tipping point to move back to charleston. the store really is that bad in comparison, but remember no comparisons here. just two very different and unique cities. the following 2 link explain it all No Comparisons...Maybe Just One?)