Delilah Brownie

She's so fun.

Thirty-Four

September 29th. It's my birthday.

I wish I had a baby picture scanned so I could post it today. These will have to do. They're pretty cute, aren't they?

Today I am enjoying my new puppy, Delilah (my birthday present) and we are going to a sushi place for lunch. Brian took off work to be with me and also agreed to going to the doctor for a long overdue physical. Can't say "no" to your wife on her birthday, right? I might even push it and ask to go see a chick-flick at the movies!

I can't deny that I'm appreciating this "getting older" stuff. My life is so full and wonderful. I finally feel like I am a more rounded person and have something to offer in conversations, relationships, and work. That feels good.

Thank you to my mom and dad for their honesty, love, and encouragement. I wouldn't be all I am without all that we have been through....these last thirty-four years. :)

I just love this photo of me and my brother.We aren't this cute anymore but we still have this close relationship. That's a sweet thing!

Gosh, I could live another lifetime and still only be 68! That's a cool thought!

Well, here's to another 34 years, with this man!

Don't worry, sweetie, you will only be a young 79 by then! We can do it!

Avocado rolls....it's the new bread!

It ain't pretty, but it's pretty tasty!

I LOVE bread.

Seriously, my favorite memory of my first cruise is of the awesome rolls I got to eat at every meal.

But we all know how it's not the most nutritional food item (bummer!) and then to be addicted to it...yikes!

So I've slowly weaned myself off of it. My body feels better without it and I totally notice a difference when I have some (which is rare). But I can't deny that I STILL LOVE it!

The passion that my taste buds have and the chemical response...oh, the ecstasy!

Well, I think I realized a healthy alternative.

When I dip these little babies in some soy sauce and shove it in my mouth....I'm instantly happy. No kidding.

I had to stop eating to take this pic. I could hardly stand the few seconds it took.

I just made, and have now devoured, pretty much all of this yumminess.

These have cucumber & yellow pepper. Some of them I managed to squeeze in some cream cheese. I can't help that whenever I make these, I gobble them up! You may even see me pushing the cart at the grocery store while chomping on a tray of the store made ones...but my homemade ones are so fresh and much better. If you like these but don't know how to make them, just ask. I'll be glad to let you learn from my mistakes. I'm not an expert (yet!). But I did buy a bamboo mat that is supposed to make it easier to roll them up nice and tight, I have chopsticks and a few Asian vinegars and cooking wines. And we do have an Asian market close by.

It's about making healthy choices. We only have one body. It's pretty amazing and pretty darn special. I hope you are taking care of yours.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the joy!

Brussel Sprouts and all things changing....

Weird way to start a blog, huh?

The thing is, two months ago I would never have bought these pretty little things.
And I never would have thought to put them in my smoothie like I did this morning.
So much has changed in two months and it's about time I filled you all in on
"all things changing" in my life.



I've been meaning to write about what's going on for bit now. But I got a miserable test grade on my last test so I've been too bummed to focus on all the goodness I had to write about. I just found out that my grade was adjusted and all the sudden my writers block lifted! Phew! I ended up with the grade that I FELT I would earn when I was taking the test. The initial grade pretty much shocked me and Brian had to experience my post-test rant and raving. He's proving over and over what a great husband he is!




Enough about that. Here's what I'm drinking now...vanilla hemp milk, instant coffee, mocha mix, ice and a secret ingredient that I will tell you about if you keep reading. Oh, and when I snapped this picture, the numbers on the clock just happened to be my date of birth! How crazy is that?! :)










How did I make such a beautiful, delicious, highly caffeinated drink?
Enter "New things in my life #1"

She just had a bath.

Yes, my blender deserves 3 photos in one blog entry.

You would too, if you had 37,000 rpm and 2hp !

You all know, from reading my previous posts, of my love (obsession) with making fresh, raw smoothies. Well, I've been drinking them every.single.day....for almost a month. I can't tell you how amazing it has been for our diet and overall health (well, I could tell you if you asked). We tried another blender but had to upgrade to a machine that could pulverize all the frozen fruit I shove into it to make our 8 cups of smoothies every morning. This thing rocks my world and be assured, you will hear much more about her in the future. She kinda needs a name, doesn't she? I mean, she costs more than my new puppy, and the puppy has a name! Oops! I wasn't supposed to mention that yet. Hang in there...more things coming.

In case you aren't already jealous of my homemade, practically free, better than Starbucks frappucino drink...I put about 6 of these babies in it. I would totally make one for you if you were here and we would be yacking about as fast as my fingers are flying across the keyboard typing this right now!!!! (whew! Take a breath, Olivia.)

"New things in my life #2" This beautiful chair was refinished and made especially for me by my talented mom. Isn't it gorgeous? This is just one of the many items I now have in my furniture stuffed home because my mom's life is in transition. We aren't exactly where this journey will take her but my favorite mom and hair stylist may be moving away from me. Things are a-changing...

"New things in my life #3, 4, 5, 6, 7"

What is making me the most happy and tearful (good tears) is the addition of a new sister and niece. My brother has found his life partner (they live in California so I thought that was the most appropriate term ). Hehe. Luke and Liliya will be married Sept. 25. Anna is the sweet and beautiful little girl that Luke will now call his daughter. (See, I just teared up writing that sentence!) They came out over Labor Day weekend so we could all meet. They are sweet and warm and I am beyond happy for them. Luke has been the most awesome, understanding, insightful, loving brother. These ladies are blessed! (tear just tricked down my face) I look forward to celebrating with them next weekend!!!!

Speaking of wedding rings. Well, sort of.

Um, I had to trade in my precious for a new ring due to it losing 5 diamonds in less than 2 yrs. All my frustration and disappointment has dissolved away because we found the most beautiful ring! It's getting resized and I should have it in a week. Brian was a huge help in the number crunching part of buying the ring...and he still said I could get it! What can I say? He loves me. :) No photo yet of this beauty. Just another reason to check back!

Our own little family is changing. too. We lost 2 of Brian's cats in August to sickness. :(

The house is so quiet now (not really, how much noise do cats make anyways?) Well, we need some to adore us and cuddle on our laps. So we are getting one of these little critters! I call it my birthday present. I get to pick her up the day before my birthday. You'll have to come back to my blog in a couple weeks to see which one I got. There are so adorable, aren't they? Like I need another distraction from studying!

Yes, I already have hair bows for her. Thanks for asking.

Gosh, I think that about tells it all!

There are some things that aren't so wonderful in life but those things work themselves out and it's way more fun to tell about all the blessings. School is a bigger project than I had expected but having a supportive husband makes the journey so more meaningful. Work is steady enough. Our jobs are stable for the most part but not without some concerns at times. I absolutely love going to work and I think I work for the best company, with the best coworkers a person could ever have. I don't think I will stay in hospice forever but I will always cherish my experiences that I've had with families and patients over the last 6 yrs. I am nervous about how health care and my role will change with the impending health care reforms. Holding my breath.

So glad you stopped by. I really enjoy hearing back from friends and family when you tell me you read my blog. It's a small but great way to connect with each other.

The making of a Pretty Green (Pink) Smoothie

First I started off with a couple leaves of romaine lettuce, a leaf of some left over bach choy that I had in the freezer, and a cup of spinach that was frozen then crushed down...I'm not sure how much that equals in fresh spinach. I stuff freezer ziplock bags with lettuce, kale, spinach and then once it freezes, I crush it in the bag and it really packs down. It's a space saving way I've discovered and now I never waste any greens! That is a 4 up container holding my greens right here. For fruit I just grab a misc mix of stuff that sounds good. A cup of frozen mixed raspberries, blueberries, marionberries (from Costco). Cup of frozen grapes. Cup of frozen peaches. Half a frozen apple. Banana. Few pieces of pineapple left in the fridge. 2 frozen wedges of a lime (I love lime). I'm sure it would taste just fine without so many different items but I LOVE variety! It's like my own fruit and greens salad bar.

Don't forget the good fats. 1 Tablespoon.

Here's the sweetness in my awesome 1horsepower blender! There's a cup of cold water in there too.

4 cups of Pretty Green (pink) Smoothie! In just 30 seconds!

Here's the kicker...I was curious so I weighed it. My jar.

WOW! No wonder it takes me 4-6 hrs to finish this thing off! 2 pounds of fruits & veggies! There is 8 oz of water in there so it's really about 1.5 pounds. And soooooo yummy and soooooo healthy.

I hope you will make your own. It doesn't have to be this big (but I promise, you will want more!)

Now, back to studying!