Goodnight....sleep tight! :)

Hi here! Happy Saturday! 

Hope you all have had a nice start to your weekend. Mine begins today at 5 when I'm off work! Of course those of us in the U.S. have Thursday to look forward to as an extra "off" day. 

Yesterday, I was a smoothie freak. I just don't want heavy meals when it's humid out. I had a coconut milk, banana, frozen peach and frozen berry (with a dash of cinnamon) smoothie for breakfast. And I had my "snuggle up/sleepy time" smoothie for dinner. I have not had the tart cherry juice earlier in the day. As it does contain melatonin, I'm afraid it will make me sleepy all day. I do have to say within a couple of hours of drinking that smoothie, I do get very heavy-lidded. Not just tired but I literally cannot keep my eyes open. I can't say I've ever had a huge problem sleeping but I do seem to be getting better quality sleep. Or maybe it's all in my head! ;) I think I may kick my smoothie up a notch by adding some nutmeg and maybe a little honey on occasion. Honey contributes to the release of melatonin and nutmeg can soothe and relax muscles and induce sleep. The original recipe does call for soy milk which is high in tryptophan. I might start using that though I seem to do well with the coconut or almond milk. 

To feel more awake during the day after hopefully having a good nights sleep, eat a lot of super foods like swiss chard, kale, spinach, quinoa! Throw the greens in a smoothie with chia seeds. Voila! Along with getting fresh air when you can, staying hydrated (I mean this!! DRINK YOUR WATER!!), eat breakfast, eat better afternoon snacks (try fruit, yogurt, nuts and seeds) and make sure to eat healthy fats.  All of this can help you feel more awake and more importantly, alert. And you may not need coffee at all! 

I'm in such a cooking mood. I love to cook in general but getting inspired always helps. I eat so healthy but I do indulge and when I indulge (or even when I eat healthy), I like things to taste really good! Go figure. Flavor rules! haha! Who wants to eat sucky, boring food all the time? The great thing is with the abundance of awesome ingredients at our fingertips, we can create amazing meals, whether on the healthy side or indulging. And you don't have to feel like utter crap after indulging. I think buffalo chicken is one of my favorite things. I've often made my own version of a buffalo chicken wrap. And it tastes just like one at a restaurant but a lot better for you. And when I attend parties I bring buffalo chicken dip a lot. I often put 1/3 less fat cream cheese, 2% sharp cheddar, lighter dressing, etc...and you really cannot tell a difference. Having the ability to adjust recipes accordingly is fantastic! Especially regarding salt! 

And I love The Barefoot Contessa aka Ina Garten for recipes. All of them are amazing! I've had several people tell me her baked shrimp scampi is outstanding. All her recipes are real, good, amazing dishes. And if you are going to indulge and need a good recipe, check out any of hers! The woman has skills! :) 

Alright, time to get up and around. Gotta be all girly and wash and straighten my hair..though with the humidity and rain coming, I imagine I'll be curly again soon!! haha!! 

I was looking through old photos of J.T. Honestly, can a kid be more photogenic. I miss his crazy hair! His entire head is cowlicks and I just let them be free. I've called it "Cool dude" hair! And he's always been the happiest kid. Laughing all the time :) Can't believe he will be 7 in November!! 

"I understand about indecision, but I don't care if I get behind. People livin' in competition. All I want is to have my peace of mind" - Boston (Having a good nights sleep and energy and being alert during the day helps with peace of mind!! LOL!) 

xoxoxo
Tam