So
it's Hump day, I've finally decided to get over the hump and commit to this
blog. I don't know why but I've been dragging my heels about getting it
started, even though I have so many things I want to share. Maybe because
it seems like another task to add to my day, but then again sitting here
writing this doesn't feel much like a task! So as you've read from my first
posts, a little over 2 years ago I had jaw surgery, but that isn't all that
defines me; so here is a little bit about what does.
I
am in my late 20's, I am a health nut, I love to be creative in the kitchen, and I am in the dance
studio, pool, weight room, or on a running trail 6 out of 7 days a week- I
don't really exist without cooking and exercising! I wasn't always as
active in as many sports as I am now, from elementary school
to college I was solely a swimmer. I never felt confident in gym class, and the pool seemed
to be the only place I did. About 10 years ago or so I signed myself up to run
in the annual Turkey trot in my town. It was a 5k and I was petrified of
running it, I didn't even like people seeing me run because I thought I looked
weird doing it. Once I ran that first race I haven't stopped (well until my
recent knee surgery- I apparently can't get enough surgeries!). Running gave me a new found happiness - the same empowering feeling swimming did, and with it a boost of confidence in my athletic abilities. Now I'm not saying I
feel like I'm on cloud nine every time I run, it hurts and it's hard, but I
love challenging myself and the awesome feeling you get at the end of
accomplishing a race or a distance you never have. So when I moved to Boston 7
years ago, I had running going for me but no pool was close and I tried spinning but I just didn't love being a gym rat. Two years
into living in the city I decided I wanted to get back into dance which was
also a big part of my childhood. I happened upon the greatest studio one
could ever happen upon, and have been there ever since!
When it comes to cooking ever since I mixed the most awful
concoctions in bowls sitting on my grandmother's kitchen floor and made
everyone try them I have loved stepping outside of a recipe and seeing what I
can create. When I first began cooking with my mom she always used to yell at me
about following the recipe as I often threw in a little of this and a bit of
that, and rarely measured correctly. This doesn't always work, especially in baking but I invite you to
experiment- worst case scenario? You have to throw it out and start over. . .or
give it to the dog J!
. My cooking skills have continued to grow and have been a great asset in the past few years as
I've done a 180 with my diet and have found a true love for all foods that are
whole and free of process and preservatives. It was a slow transition, and
while I was never extremely unhealthy and always had a balance of lean protein,
veggies and a starch on my plate, my cabinet and fridge were full of more boxes
and processed yogurts and cheeses than I care to admit. I started slowly,
buying more organic fruits and vegetables (only the organic for ones that I eat
the skin), organic whole grain breads and crackers, and I purchased a lot of all natural frozen meals like Amy's or
Blake's for nights when I would get home late from work and the gym. A few years passed and I realized I had almost stopped cooking except when I invited friends over, the frozen meals became my go to because I just wanted to relax and watch tv- how classically American! This past year I slowly phased out the frozen meals and began
prepping for a few hours on Sunday so that I would have fresh meals cooked and
stored in the freezer at the ready.
Enter in Pinterest and a few great bloggers I follow. I've started
making EVERYTHING I would normally
buy. Tonight I even made my own graham crackers! It's pretty awesome to be
eating crackers and know that you made them, and even better that you know EXACTLY what's in them. If I ever
do buy something, my new rule is it has to have 5 ingredients or less. Well I won't ramble on
any more, but I will try to post regularly, and hopefully you will enjoy
reading and recreating the recipes I post in your own kitchen. Happy Humpday!
Homemade gluten-free graham
cracker
PB Banana “ice-cream” sandwiches
More about why they're gluten free next time!
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