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A Paleo Cooking Show?! It Could Be With Our Help!

It's no secret that I am a major fangirl when it comes to Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, The Paleo Mom.

When we first went Paleo, I found the podcast she co-hosts with Stacy Toth of The Paleo Parents.
I spent hours absorbing the information they shared over 100 plus episodes.  I learned so much from the show.  I specifically love the "Why's" behind the lifestyle in a segment they call "Science With Sarah."

I don't think it would be totally off-base to say that The Paleo View (listen here) has changed my life. Sarah and Stacy are relateable, likable, knowledgeable.  They are real life moms who have lost over 100 pounds, are managing diseases, and still manage to parent while producing amazing content week after week.

On recent episodes of The Paleo View Sarah has been dropping hints about a television show she's involved with, and finally made the announcement today.  Sarah has teamed up with the crew from ECG Productions (the producers of "In Search Of The Perfect Human Diet) and filmed a pilot called
"Paleo Bites."

"Paleo Bites" isn't just a cooking show

 It will also feature segments called Lifestyle Bites, offering tips on things like stress management, sleep and exercise, and Science Bites, which is where Sarah really shines.  She has this incredible ability to explain complex ideas and processes to those of us who are, um, not so great at science.  In my (totally expert) opinion, there is no one else who could host this show, and do it with such humor and flair and general awesomeness as Sarah.

I really, really, really want this show to air!  Not just for my own selfish reasons and fangirldom, but for the millions of Americans who need this information.  Who can heal, feel better, look better if they only had this information.

So what can we do to help?

1.  Visit this post on The Paleo Mom.

2.  Watch the trailer and read more about the show

3.  Fill out the form to send to T.V. Stations (This can be done once a day!)

      **As an added bonus, you'll receive a free .pdf with recipes, and be entered to win a viewing of             the pilot episode.  Hopefully I'll win a spot, too and we can meet up!**

4.  Use #PaleoBitesTV and post on social media.  Share with your family, friends, followers, anyone who can use this information 

There are maybe four people in entire world who I am such a big fan of that I would consider writing an entire blog post about, but I am not exaggerating when I say that her podcast changed my life.  That's a lofty statement, believe me I know, but it's true.  I want others to have the chance to feel as good as I feel.  And Paleo Bites TV is a step in the right direction, a step towards educating the public and letting them experience real health.

Paleo Kids: Snacks

People are always shocked at the things our kids eat and enjoy.  Heck, I'm shocked at the things our kids eat and enjoy most times. 

I'm really lucky that they are brave and love to try new things.  When we made the switch to paleo, they were already eating well and there weren't too many things that needed to change, but there were a few things that we added and tweaked.  

Bree just turned 3, Nathan is 18 months, and both are grazers who prefer to snack a lot as opposed to eating big meals.  Snacking, and doing so healthfully, is so important.

Here are some of their favorite snacks:

Olives  She likes black, he prefers green.

Avocados

Sardines Straight from the tin!  Shout out to Diane at Balanced Bites for that one!

Almond butter thinned with almond milk for dipping apples, cucumbers, carrots

               

Fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, persimmons

Berries  This gets it's own category since it's like 1/3 of our grocery budget.  They love berries!  Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries.  

Baby spinach  (Raw) 

Cherry tomatoes (Quartered, choking hazard)

Kale chips  Bree makes these for us, and I just pop them in the oven to bake!  They're a huge hit around here.

Coconut Milk Yogurt  This falls in the special treat category, but it's so good.

Almond Nut Thin Crackers  Also a special treat, and the replacement for goldfish.

Bolthouse Farms Fruit Tubes Perfect replacement for Go-Gurts!

GoGo Squeeze Apple Sauces 

Larabars 

Plantain Chips

Applegate Farms Salami, Ham, Pepperoni

Sea Snax Seaweed  This is their favorite snack.  I can literally bribe them to do anything with these.  They're seriously delicious.  

Lazy Sunday...er, Snow Day

Sunday's are usually action packed for the kids and me.  We go to the gym, go food shopping, and have fun "adventures" while we're shopping. 

Today we were adding in a trip to the outlets so I could get new sneakers. 

Twice now I have driven to the gym, looked down as we were getting out of the car and realized I had on my uggs. My super smart husband said, "Hey, why don't you buy a pair and leave them in the car?"  To which I replied, "By golly, that's a super swell idea!"  or something equally as dumb because my brain was short circuiting at the idea that was so simple but would solve my issue, that I couldn't think.  He's obviously the brains of this operation. 

Imagine my surprise when I woke up and found four inches of snow that I wasn't even aware we were going to receive. Instead, I stayed home and played with the kids all day.  We stayed in our PJs, watched movies and had a blast.  

Aside from unwrapping some Applegate Farms ham and slapping it on a plate with some raw veggies and berries and calling I lunch, I did nothing after 10am.  I even forgot about dinner. 

Never occurred to me to take anything out.  

Luckily, this family is easy.  They know I'm lazy, but they still love me.  It's probably because I'm pretty awesome at making silly faces and reading stories. 

I choo-choo-choose you!

It's funny the weird pop culture references that stick with you.  I'm pretty sure my breakdown is like 96% cartoons from the 90's, 3% songs from the early 2000's and 1% comedy bits that no one else remembers.  

Moving on, far away from the weirdness of my brain...

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!  

We had a lazy, fun day.  We made breakfast, hung out with my parents, came home and made taco salad for dinner.  It was a perfectly lovely day with my loves.  

Bree was so excited to eat candy, that she actually turned down seaweed snax. 

I asked, "Wait, Bree.  What's your favorite food?"

"Seaweed!  But NOT on Valentine's Day!"

Righto, kiddo.  Trust me, I'd down candy all day long if it was healthy.  We'll see tomorrow how this all works out for me.  The last time she had this much sugar she told me "These cupcakes make me want to be bad!"  She obviously has some ability to recognize how things make her feel, but she's 3.  She's a baby!

Since I knew they'd get tons of candy, I made them some special treats.  

...Which I'm totally sure they'd appreciate way more if they could, you know, read.

Try as I might, I lack the Pinterest gene. I saw this adorable idea to put temporary tattoos on bananas.  It sounded easy, but I'm really awesome at messing things up. It's a skill, really.  

Sausage, Beef & Peppers, Oh My!

Did you ever make something, and before it was even done, just know that it was going to be one of the best things you've ever eaten?  I did.  It was the easiest, most simple recipe, too.

For your dining pleasure, I present to you:

                                                            Stuffed Peppers.

It's a classic.  Were you expecting something more?  Do you not know me by now?  Lazy.  With a capital "L" and not just because it's the first letter of a sentence.  I'm not about fancy, time consuming or hard recipes.  I like simple.  I love lazy.

Why is this recipe special?

1.  It combines ground beef and ground sausage for a little something extra.
2.  It's totally paleo.  White rice is one of those things that's questionable, some people react to it      
     while others are totally fine.  Since we're still relative newbies, I'm still avoiding rice until our guts
     are nice and healthy.  It uses cauliflower "rice" instead.


The Ingredients  (Makes 8 servings)

8 Bell Peppers
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Sausage
1/2 Head Cauliflower "Rice"  (Put cauliflower through food processor until it resembles rice)
2 Small Cans Tomato Paste
1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
1 Small Can Diced Chilies
1 tbs Oregano

The Steps

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1.  Cook the ground beef and sausage on the stove top
2.  Cut the tops off the peppers, and discard along with the seeds
3.  Once the beef/sausage mixture is cooked through, combine all the ingredients and mix well
4.  Fill the peppers with the mixture, and cook for approximately 30 minutes until peppers are tender

See?  Easy!

The Lazy Way aka Slow Cooking

I'm all about the slow cooker.  Shocking, right?  It's the easiest, most lazy way of making dinner ever.

My awesome husband got me a new Crock Pot for Christmas, and I love it so hard.  (I also love that the old one can constantly be making nutrient dense bone broth!)

Rubies and Radishes has an amazing e-book called "Easy Paleo Slow Cooker Meals - Over 25 quick prep, nutrient dense, grain-free recipes" that I downloaded with The Family Resolution Revolution bundle that was offered by my favorite podcasters, Stacy from The Paleo View Podcast and one of the Paleo Parents.  (Word on the street is that another bundle will be offered this summer!)

The very first recipe in the book is for chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  My husband loves artichokes like I love sugar, so I knew I had to make it for him.  He will eat anything I make, and pretends to like most of it.  I knew we had a winner on our hands when we had this exchange:

The recipe is incredibly easy, and takes less than five minutes to prep.  Normally when recipes make those claims I double the time, but this one is seriously that easy.  

I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like you can receive the whole e-book for free when you sign up for the email list at Rubies and Radishes!  (You for sure receive a free book, I'm just not sure if you'll get this exact one, but either way it's a total win!)

Ready for the easy recipe?

Chicken

Jar of artichoke hearts

Jar of sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)

Small can of tomato paste

Combine, and cook for 4-5 hours on low.

Then sit back, enjoy the amazing smell, and wait forever.  Wait some more.  And eventually it will be time to eat.

So yummy! I served it over a bed of spinach, and pretty much devoured it.  Yeah.  It was so good I basically just shoveled it into my mouth.   

  

Threenagers

Perhaps you've already read the Huffington Post article "10 Signs You Are Living With A Threenager."

If you haven't, you should read it now.  I'll wait.

Still waiting.

Done yet?

Ok.  That's my life.  I adore my smart, fun, limit learning little girl.  She's funny, has a huge imagination, and is the best big sister I have ever seen.  Terrible Twos?  Not in this house!  Sure she tested limits, but I can count on my hands the number of times that days were "bad" or that I thought I was going to pull my hair out.

A week before she turned three, I'm pretty sure she turned thirteen and gave me a glimpse into my frightening, terrifying, alarming future.  Girl is stubborn!  "I don't want to!" and "Because that's what I wanted to do" have become the most used phrases in our house.

Well, technically the most used phrases are "Please don't grab brother by the neck" and "Sit down on the couch, please!"  But those are my most used phrases, so back to the previous statements...


As part of this whole Paleo lifestyle thing, in addition to healthy eating, I'm also trying to manage stress and sleep more.  Sleep is a huge component, and I'm falling way short.  I have two kids who think sleep is optional, at least for Mom.

So imagine my surprise when the stars magically aligned and both kids were asleep and ready for naps at the same time!

Nap time for Mama, too!  Sweet!

After both kids were blissfully snoring away, I laid down.  Exactly 23 minutes later, I hear my husband's voice calling from the kitchen, "Michelle, look at what your daughter did!"

An entire bag of flour, less a 1/3 cup that was used like six months ago, all over the hardwood floors in the kitchen.  Old school hardwood with actual gaps in between boards.  

"Why did you do that, Aubrey?"

"Because I wanted to!"

"Now Mommy has to clean that up.  Do you think that's fair?"

"I just wanted to draw!  Now you hurt my feelings!"  Cue dramatic run away, followed by tears.

I had to leave so she wouldn't see me laugh.  

#ToddlersAreAwesome

These are the little moments that make memories, right?  So much for that whole stress reduction thing, though.  I'm kind of giving up on that.

Hopefully they do sleep when they're teenagers though.  That's something to look forward to for sure.

I Want Candy

I'm a sugar freak.  

For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with sugar. 

 My family loves to tell the tale of how, at five years old, I sat in front of the television with a bag of oreos and my two cups of milk** and destroyed the whole bag.  

My love of oreos, candy, chocolate, tastycakes, donuts and generally unhealthy foods didn't end there.  During my first trimester with Aubrey, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  I ate well, and controlled it without medication.  Immediately after giving birth, I was GD free.  My blood glucose numbers were fine until my 28th week of pregnancy with Nathan.  This time I required medication since diet alone wasn't cutting it.  After giving birth, my numbers sort of normalized, but I was still considered diabetic.

I happily took my medication, and pricked my fingers four times a day.  I knew I had diabetes, but didn't really consider myself a diabetic.  I wasn't sick.

Except, I was.

..................................................................

Fast forward to this past summer, 2014.

I woke up one morning with a blood glucose reading of 490.  Yes, four hundred and ninety.  I called my then doctor, who said I should monitor it and come see her on Monday.  She told me to not be alone, gave me instructions on when I should head to the ER and things that my husband should look out for that would indicate I needed to be seen.

The next day my numbers were still high.  Over 500 fasting, and over 300 with meals and medication.  The solution?  "Oh, just increase your dosage!  No big deal!"

Say what?!

No big deal?  I spent all weekend thinking I was on the brink of death, or at least a coma, and now I'm being made to feel as if I am over-reacting?  What planet am I on?

I followed doctors orders for the next six weeks.  My numbers stayed high.  Still over 400 fasting, and in the 200's with medication and meals. My A1C was now an ENTIRE point higher than previous draw.  

Guess what the advice was?  Increase your frequency.  Take this higher dose three times a day instead of two.

This didn't sit well with me.  Wasn't I damaging my body?  How does this make sense?   What can we do to make this get better?  To make me feel better?

Someone gave me a copy of Practical Paleo.  I looked at the meal plans, and decided to give it a try. 

And I was hooked.  Am hooked.

I'm so thankful that I found paleo, and that I'm regaining my health.  I still love sweet things (Larabars are filling that void for now) and I'm sure it will always be a struggle to avoid those things but I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.  Paleo is easy.   

I'm still working on reducing my stress level and sleeping at least eight hours a night (a nearly impossible feat with a working husband and two kids who don't sleep through the night) but my numbers are normal.  I'm down to taking my medication once a day, and hopeful that I won't need it much longer.  So that's my story, my reason for giving this whole thing a try.

And the reason I avoid oreos.  Delicious, unhealthy, cream-filled goodness that was actually killing me.

** Two cups of milk?  Yes, m'aam.  "Clean" milk for drinking, and "Dirty" milk for dunking.  Am I the only weirdo who did that as a kid?  I can't be!  

   

The Lazy Novice Paleo Mom?

You may have noticed that I get an idea, and I run with it.  Paleo has become my obsession.  (Well, I guess my kids are my obsession, but paleo is a close second!)

I listen to Paleo Podcasts.  Constantly.

I read Paleo Books.

I visit Paleo Blogs.

I log my meals with the My Paleo Pal app.

I spend my time researching, shopping, and cooking.

My husband's heart burn, which has required medication for like ten years, is no longer an issue.  I've lost thirty pounds since starting paleo in November.  I feel better than I have in my entire adult life.

I look forward to going to the gym.  I love weight training.  I love squats...until the next day when my legs feel like they are going to fall off.  Heck, I even like the feeling of my legs feeling like they are going to fall off.

Most of all, I love that my kids are eating and loving nutrient dense, healthy foods.  I love that I can be an example of what a healthy life looks like.  I love that I can give them this gift, and set them up for a future where they will be healthy.

I love paleo.

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

I've been away from this blog for over a year.  I've thought about blogging a lot.  I've written full posts in my head.  I just haven't actually pulled out the lap top and sat down to put fingers to keys.

I'd say I've been super busy, and that is mostly true, but that's no real reason for blog neglect!

Life is good.  Husband went back to school, finished and now has a new job that he is super proud of and I am, too!

The kids are amazing.  Aubrey is hysterical, smart, creative.  Strong willed and brave.  She's almost three, and it's such a fun age.

She's totally my favorite girl ever.

Nathan is the happiest kid I've ever seen.  He's just a total joy, so friendly.  He's smart, learning from his big sister all the time.  They adore each other.  He's 15 months, and it's such a fun age.

 He's totally my favorite boy ever.

I worked all year, and I'm just getting back into this whole SAHM gig again.  I'm super into all things paleo these days.

And that's it.

So not only am I a neglectful blogger, I'm also a totally boring "LIFE UPDATE! OMG!" blogger with the least exciting update ever.

Two Year Olds Rock!

I'm not as dumb as I look!

I am actually quite sure I may be a genius.

I just figured out a huge ruse. 

My husband and I have been watching "Chopped" marathon style on amazon instant watch.   It's not normally his style.  He's not a big reality tv fan.  

He is however a fan of good food.  I'm a good cook, but I'm no chef. I couldn't tell you the difference between a relish and chutney or how to make a gastrique. Heck, I didn't even know the word gastrique a few weeks ago before we started watching four episodes a night. 

I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like the show, but is just watching so I can pick up tips. 

Case in point:

A few nights ago we were running late on dinner. It was just a bad day where nothing got done.  It was six thirty before I even got to cooking, thanks to a grumpy (amazingly handsome) little guy. 

So I pulled out the old mom staple that's quick and easy and I knew everyone would like, grilled cheese.  

Cheddar and American.

With green beans and a side of grilled apples with cheddar sprinkled on top to bring it all together. 

It was so good for such a simple dish. 

He tried to show me up with his plating of flounder wrapped lobster and crab cakes. He won. 

Then I upped him with my salmon cakes with avocado and yogurt sauce and red Swiss chard.  

So really, even though my meal was far superior, he still wins.

Tricky trickster!  I'm onto you. 

I always feel like somebody's watching me!

Namely a super adorable almost two year old.

It boggles my mind that a year ago we were constantly fearful she would break her face while she was learning to walk. 

She's now a real life little person. She dances like a boss.  Loves to sing and harmonize.  Rocks at using apple products and tablets.  Has actual conversations using real words in place of grunts.  Is an awesome little helper who loves to "clean clean!"

And she's a kick arse big sister!

It's pretty incredible to watch her with the little guy.  She is so gentle and loving.  She adores him, and him her.  We're seeing this bond form before our eyes. 

Yesterday, she blew me away and also gave a reminder that I need as a parent.  

While cuddling in our bed, Bree was rubbing his belly and holding his hand. I said, "Wow! Nathan's hands are cold!"

She brought his hand to her mouth and blew on it to warm it up. 

Just like her daddy does to her.

And with that one simple, sweet and thoughtful act, I realized someone really is always watching. 

It's not just about modeling "gentle touches" when cuddling brother or petting kitty.  It's not just about saying please or thank you so she learns.  It's not just speaking kindly of others or toning down my choice of words so she won't repeat what was said.

We have this amazing, sweet, thoughtful almost two year old who is always watching.  

She can watch me lose my temper when I don't get my way, or she can see what patience looks like.  She can watch me 

stew over perceived slights or she can learn how to forgive. She can watch me 

lie because it's easier or learn to be honest. 

She can learn to be kind to others.  To do good deeds. To be friendly and thoughtful and empathetic.  To help and serve others. 

It's up to me to be a better person so she can be a better person than me. 

She is always watching.  

I swear it's a real thing!

Pareidolia.

Seriously, it's real.  It's both an awesome name and an annoying ability to see "faces" in random objects and places where no such face actually exists. 

I can recall sitting on the toilet in elementary school and staring at the dots on drop ceiling tiles and seeing faces.  Happy, sad, scary, strange.  Clowns and dogs and normal people.  

I see the patterns on tile and in gum on the street. Splotches of paint, in drops of rain.  Anywhere and everywhere I go I see these things. 

According to google I might be nuts.  Me?! Imagine that. I'm a weirdo, we know this.  I don't try to hide it. 

Isn't this a common phenomenon though? Does anyone else do this all the time?  

I mean, it's hard NOT to see them. Right?

And if you haven't done it before, I bet you will now!  

Whoa. WHOA!

                                         Bree does her best Joey Lawrence "WHOA" impression.


                                                      Or sees the ocean for the first time.

Guess which one of the above statements is true and which is a load of carp fish.  Betcha ya can't!


Her reaction was totally priceless!  I grew up in Ocean County, and I often took the ocean for granted. It was just always there, the beach and boardwalk in Sea Side and Pt. Pleasant were fixtures of our childhood.

Its easy to forget just how awesome and powerful and large the ocean really is!

Cozywoggle Car Seat Jacket (Giveaway starts 12/13!)

Bloggers Wanted!! 

What is Cozywoggle? I know you probably want to know what a product is before you opt in to help promote it, so here is a little enplination of the Cozywoggle.

 Cozywoggle is the new safe, warm and convenient car seat jacket! Jackets are not to be worn in 5 pt harness car seats as they are compressed when in an accident making the car seat straps too loose and potentially ejecting the baby, toddler or child from the seat. Cozywoggle has zippers along the sides of the jacket as well as along the sleeves, allowing you to unzip them, buckle the straps against your child w/o having to loosen straps for bulky coats (there should only be up to 1" or 1 fingers width between straps and your child's shoulder) and then you "drape" the jacket over your child and the straps and you can rezip the sleeves to keep their arms warm. Leaving them safe as well as warm!

Okay, onto the giveaway information!

Prize: Cozywoggle in winner's choice of color (4 to choose from) and size (12m through size 6y)
Value: $74.99
Open to US only
Giveaway will run December 13th - December 27th

Sign-ups close December 10th!

Bloggers click here for more information and to SIGN-UP!

Disclosure: This is a blogger opp post, please do not "enter the giveaway" through the sign-up form. Only bloggers should be using this form, check back to the blog you are seeing this on December 13th and then you can enter through the giveaway post.

Pirates and Princesses Adventure - Disney Junior Live: Review!

What did the pirate on Wheel of Fortune say?

"I'd like to buy an AYE!  Then an Arrrrrrgh!"

Not kidding, that's one of my favorite jokes.  It cracks me up every time.  I'm like a five year old when it comes to jokes.  If it could potentially be found on a popsicle stick or in the back of Highlights Magazine, I probably adore it.  I'm pretty much just a giant kid in an adult sized body pretending that I'm an adult doing adult things. somehow tricking everyone that I'm a real adult.

That's one of the best things about having kids, I can totally rock out to Disney Radio and watch "Jesse" and "Good Luck Charlie" and pretend that I'm just a super awesome mom who gets into the things her kids love.  Except, you know, my kids are both under two years old, so I'm not really tricking anyone, am I?

I mean, Bree is all about Disney Junior and the princesses.  Sophia the First is like her favorite thing ever.  EVER.  EVER!  (Except Doc McStuffins, but really, no one can compete with Doc, amirite?!)

So when we saw Disney Junior Live: Pirates and Princess Adventure was coming to a town near us, we happily snagged three tickets.  I, opps, I mean She was super excited!  We watched Sophia The First then  Jake and the Neverland Pirates like it was our job!

After what felt like 647,102 days, it was finally Pirates and Princesses day!  I, opps, I mean She was super excited!

We took a princess bath, complete with bubbles and pink water!

And then we had a nap, and a Disney princess lunch:

We donned our princess and pirate gear and dropped little brother off at Grandma and Grandpa's, stopped for dinner and headed to the Sun National Bank Arena.

We bought our cotton candy ($12! Ouch!) and foam Sophia The First Princess Crown, and took our seats in section 108, row G.

And ten minutes before show time, we heard a familiar voice!  Was it? Could it be?  Is that?  It is!

Doc McStuffins!  An adorable pre-show that certainly got us excited and interested in what was yet to come!  We got to sing a song with Doc, and she diagnosed a toy car with "Too-excited-itis" and wrote it in her big book of boo-boos!  So cool.

Mickey and Minnie hosted the show, appearing before each act and at the end.

Next up, Sophia the First!  I loved that the show used the actual voices of the characters, so it was recognizable for the kids.  From the moment the show started, and the theme song was sung, it was lots of action and tons of fun!

 The storyline was cute, and the costumes were fun.  Some familiar songs were song, like "You Can Always Count on Baileywick" and the fairy godmothers Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are featured.  Cinderella even made an appearance when Sophia's amulet started flashing!

A short intermission and it was time for Jake and the Neverland Pirates! It was late (the show started at 7pm!) and I wasn't sure she'd make it through the whole thing, but she was super into it!

And so were we!  Captain Hook had the coolest outfit of the night, there was swashbuckling and swords, and FLYING.  Like for real (harness) flying, y'all!  Peter Pan flew and danced, and even Jake and Izzy got to use the pixiedust and fly!  Say wha?!

It was amazing, seriously.  Smee was just as loveable.  Scully was there!  It was overall just an awesome show and we all loved it.

When Feld Entertainment does Disney, they do it big and they do it right.

I may have (totally did) cried more than once from happy tears!  It was such a fun night and I, opps I mean she had the best time ever!  EVER!

                                                         Leaving was kinda sad, actually.

<Insert Baking Pun Title Here>

I'm a decent cook.

 I can follow a recipe like no one's business, and I can usually make substitutions and whip up something good with whatever I have on hand.  I'm not like "Master Chef" material, but I could have people over for dinner and not need to order pizza. 

I'm a terrible baker though. 

I don't know how or why, though I'm secretly sure it's a gift from the universe so that I don't weigh 946 pounds.

I heard a recipe while listening to The Mom Podcast that really intrigued me. 

Perfect Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Made with white (or great northern) beans in place of butter. 

Say what now?  Beans? In a cookie?

I had all the ingredients on hand so I made them. And they were delish. 

I've made them like four times in four weeks. They are so good!  You can't taste the beans at all.  

 It's not a super sweet cookie, but it's amazing.  I've given the recipe to a few others and they all love them as well.

I'd love to know what you think if you try them. 

     The wet ingredients:  beans with can

      juice, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla 

      extract. 

 Recipe courtesy of The Mom Podcast

1 15 oz can white beans, with can juice
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 T cinnamon
3 c whole wheat flour
3c oatmeal
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Add beans (with can juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, blend. 

Mix all dry ingredients except chocolate chips.  Pour wet into dry and mix well. 

Add chocolate chips and bake. 

Simple, right?  I love these cookies so much I just want to share them with everyone!  So if you see some weird lady accosting random strangers and force feeding them cookies, come say what up. I'd love to talk to you. The Mom Podcast

The New Man in My Life

You read that right!  There's a new man in my life and I am in LOVE!  He's good looking and a total beast.

Luckily my husband is totally cool with him, too.  Is that weird?

I'm talking about my amazeballs double stroller, the Bob Revolution SE Duallie.  Weighing in at just 34 pounds, it's everything I wanted in a stroller and then some.  

        Choose orange, navy or black

The front swivel wheel locks into place for safety when running, and it pushes like a dream whether it's locked or unlocked.  It feels super light, and it's easily controlled with one hand when running (and walking, obviously!)

The shocks are super awesome, and something I didn't even know I wanted in a stroller.  Both kids are super comfy and barely even move on bumpy roads or off-roading.  We pretty much ruled the pumpkin farm this year!

With an additional adapter I'm able to use it with Nathan's Britax B-Safe car seat.  The Britax specific adapter utilizes Britax's Click and Go system, so it literally clicks and snaps onto the adapter.  There's an additional safety strap that buckles across the child for added security , but it's still really stable and secure without it. (By all means, use it though!)

          Yes, he is in 'jams. Shhhh.

The adapter (sold separately) has a tray on Aubrey's side that has a really deep cup holder. It's seriously deep, the cup won't fall out unless it's thrown by a toddler whose favorite game is "Make Mama Fetch," in which case, buy a sippy leash. Trust me, it'll improve your quality of life, quickly and a lot. 

          Cup retrivial not included

So let's get into the meat and potatoes. The "Is This The Right Stroller For Me?" questions that I had before making the final decision.  (Picking a stroller is hard y'all!) 

Is the stroller big?

It's a double stroller, it's big. BOB, literally Beast of Burden, doesn't try to hide it.  

Ok, but is it too big?

Nope.  I had a near panic attack when we first put it together (super easily btw) when I saw how wide it was.  We lived in a little apartment at the time, and I was certain it wouldn't fit through the doors. It didn't look like it would, but it did.

And it's fit through every door everywhere else too. Stores are no problem!  

    Huge canopies with large window

Is it heavy?

It's not light, but it's not super super heavy.  I mean, again, it's a double stroller.  We can't expect it to be light, can we?  I can pick it up and throw it in the back of our car with no problem!

Will it fit in my trunk?

I drive a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0, and honestly, the trunk space isn't much more than it was in our old Sonata.  It's an SUV, yes, but it's not a ton of room.

     Remove wheels for more space

We were able to pack two suit cases, a pack and play, a rock and play and a bag of toys along with the stroller for a recent trip.

Is it easy to fold?

Yes!  Remove the red safety strap from along the lower bar, pull the red rip cord and it folds down.  Pull back and the whole stroller will tip back to you.  Attach the buckle located on the wrist strap to the bottom buckle and it's secure and ready to be carried or stored. 

Pro tip:  Flip the stroller when putting it in your trunk so the wheels are up and avoid unnecessary clean ups!

Is it worth the money though?

Yes!  Yes! Yes!  Let me say it again, yes!  Yes!

It's not cheap, but it's also not cheaply made. The canvas fabric is thick. The shocks are awesome. The wheels are large. The foot brake is easy to operate and metal.  The seats are padded, have pockets, include lumbar support and even have padding on the sides where kids rest their heads when sleeping. 

     Padded sides = comfy toddler

For us, it has replaced three singles.  It's our every day use stroller, our jogger and our "good" stroller for longer outings.

And most people I know have multiple strollers, so it's not that expensive when you start adding them all up!

We all seriously love our BOB! I was thinking of calling TLC to let them know about our love affair and My Strange Addiction, but then I realized it's not strange at all. There are a ton of rabid BOB fans all over the globe!

Word of caution though, you will be stopped and asked about the stroller all the time.  It's a good looking stroller and people want to know all about it.  I'm not kidding.