. . . s o j o u r n e r s t o g e t h e r . . .

I realized there are so many pictures that I haven't posted yet from earlier this summer (technically probably spring!). We are trying to soak in as much time outside as we possibly can. The other day I told Dan that I was starting to get annoyed that it was so hot, and that he needed to remind me that this is SO much better than 0 degrees and many inches of snow and if I ever started to complain again to slap me . I know he won't slap me because that's the kind of loving husband I have, but he will hold me accountable- this comes from the Florida boy who will take 100% humidity any day over snow :) We've had some play dates outside and the other weekend we went to another parade in Owego- a town about 20 minutes from us. This one consisted of LOTS of tractors- definitely a different feel than the Hudson Memorial Day parade but Jake still loved it :)

I hope you are enjoying the time outside this summer! I can't believe it's already JULY. I think I've decided that summer may be my new favorite season.. but we will see what happens when fall rolls around again :)

Enjoy the pictures!

Jake got TWO tattoos at the parade :)

The start of the long line of tractors :)

Dan and I couldn't stop laughing that this was actually a group in the parade lol and they seriously had like 50 people walking in the parade wearing these T shirts. I'm all for breastfeeding if you can but this took it to a whole new level lol

Remember that blog post I wrote {what seems like} forever ago about food and how I felt convicted about my eating? Well, I've been wanting to update for honestly a while now. And really, it's so much easier for me to post some pictures I took over the weekend than try to muster up the energy to find all the recipes and articles that I have read about healthy eating over the past couple weeks. However, it is so helpful for me to put all these recipes in one place so I can go back to them, so let's just say this post is written in part, with some selfish motives :)

As an update, I actually have kept up with most of the changes I said I wanted to make! I'm not going to lie, it takes work to eat more fruits and vegetables. But I can already tell it's very much worth it. It's amazing how our bodies work, after eating one way for so long I didn't realize how much better I would feel having more fruits and vegetables and less processed food. And, I feel better and more energized when I'm not always drinking pop and eating cookies for lunch (which sadly, happened all too often for me).

One small change that makes a HUGE difference for me is chopping up fruits and vegetables right after I go to the store. Right now I have mushrooms, onions, peppers, and jalapenos all chopped up so I can make a salad or omelet in less than 10 minutes. And I LOVE red pepper and hummus as a quick snack, too. My favorite go to lunch is sauteing up all of the veggies I just mentioned plus some chopped grape tomatoes in a spice called "Slap ya mama." (I know ridiculous name, right?!) and then serve some eggs over top. Super easy, very healthy, and so good.

Something else I keep on hand as well is trail mix. Whenever I have a sugar craving, I go for that instead of a cookie (because obviously the trail mix I make has M&M's in it.. it wouldn't be a real trail mix if it didn't :) ) And, since I can get tired of regular water, I buy a lot of sparkling water from Wegmans... it's so good. I still have my energy balls in the morning like I mentioned in my first blog post, but I'm only having a couple avocados a week now. Which brings me to the second big thing I've learned on this food journey- you will get sick and tired of eating the same thing. It really is totally like me to get super excited about three meals and eat them over and over again. For a while I was eating a lot of avocados on toast, and scrambled egg over kale or spinach. Both things that I love, but I got to a point where I needed to expand my recipes because I was getting tired of eating the same things every. single. day. That is why I follow lots of wonderful people on instagram. A lot of the people I follow on instagram do Whole 30. I honestly don't know much about Whole 30, and don't really have a strong desire to do it. I do however, think it's a good thing because it encourages people to eat healthy. I just know myself and probably can't stick to a plan that doesn't include carbs or the occasional treat. However, these ladies post some awesome recipes that I use or tweek. My favs are:

Also, a lot of the recipes in Shauna Niequist's book Bread and Wine are pretty healthy. I've posted one of my favorite recipes below :)

The last thing I've noticed on this food journey of mine is how much freedom I have experienced through eating healthy. It totally seems weird- because you would think making yourself eat healthy would seem like being in some sort of "bondage," but it's exactly the opposite. Take a look at these verses regarding freedom:

1 Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything."

Galatians 5:13 "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

Can I eat anything I would like to? Sure. I could eat ice cream all day long and give into my "fleshly" desires and cravings for sugar. But is that really beneficial for me? In actuality, it's putting me in another form of bondage- bondage to sugar and to my cravings which actually leads me down a destructive path. Now, listen carefully... what I'm not saying is that you can never give into your desires for chocolate. You can give into your cravings and have a cookie every once in a while. That will not prove to be destructive or put you in bondage to sugar. However, if I make a habit or pattern out of this behavior (which I did) it can be. That's why God tells us that we were called to freedom. We do have a choice, but God is encouraging us to make a wise choice and not always follow our desires. Another side note: I am taking these verses and applying them to freedom in general- but the application of freedom in our walk as Christians can apply to MANY different areas. Food is just one area that God has shown me what freedom can look like.

So, onto the recipes. These are just a few of the recipes that I have been making and really enjoying (and Dan is, too!)

{Jambalaya}

{Roasted Brussels Sprouts}

{Strawberry Salad}

{Salmon Salad}

{Apple Cookies}

{Chocolate Snack}

{Taco Salad}

{Roasted Mushrooms}

{White Chicken Chili}

{Easy Chipotle bowls}

(I usually put a lot of veggies on top of mine)

{Coconut Butter Granola}

{Healthy Shrimp Scampi}

{Red Curry Chicken}

{Healthy Fried Rice}

{Anything Sweet Potatoe related}

I put sweet potatoes with everything now- as a side, with my eggs and some sirachi sauce.. so many uses!!

{Plank Workout}

maybe not a recipe.. but have you ever tried these?! They are not easy.

These are some of the recipes I've made :)

{Mango Chicken Curry}

This is from Shauna's book. I don't know anything about copyrights so I don't want to post the recipe, however I would encourage you to buy the book or the kindle edition because there are a lot of great recipes inside (and stories)