Real vs. Fake

Many times when I exercise outdoors I see this...

Heart shaped leaves and twig crosses are my little love notes from God. They're always dropped perfectly in my path. I never have to search for them; they're just there.

This morning, I saw this...

If I looked hard enough, I could see a tiny indent on the leaf that could possibly count as a heart. The twigs are together and if I nudged the twigs just so, they'd form a cross. But you don't have to be a genius to see that this leaf and two little twigs are pale imitations of the "real" ones I've been given so many times. The leaf has a little indent, but it isn't really a heart. The twigs are together, but definitely don't form a cross.

Sometimes, when we are vulnerable, dry, or thirsty, we want to grab ahold of the first thing that will quench the thirst. We'll settle for something close to the real thing because we want it to be real. We're parched for whatever that thing is. But I believe God gives us the real thing enough times for us to know the truth, so we can't be deceived. Satan is the master of illusion and deception. He has the ability to make something look real and genuine, but if you know the real thing, you can tell where the master illusionist has gone wrong in his deceptive recreation.

My heart wanted to grab on to the feelings and emotions of receiving my little love notes from God. It's been a while since I've had a heart shaped leaf or a twig cross, primarily because I haven't been exercising outdoors (or exercising much at all, but that's a story for another day). God gave me a gift greater than a heart shaped leaf or a twig cross on my walk today; He showed me how to be alert, to really look for Him, and not to settle or be enticed by cheap imitations of His gift. He showed me to always grab ahold of the truth.

No matter how badly you want something, no matter how thirsty you get, never trick yourself or allow yourself to be tricked into settling for less than God's best for you. The more time you spend with the Author of perfection, the easier it will be to spot the imitation things that pale in comparison to the real, best thing.

How To Get Clean FAST After The Color Run

The Color Run 5K... it's all about fun and happy... but at some point you've got to get clean! My friends and I were completely covered in color when we crossed the finish line, and that's exactly how it should be. 

The question is... how do you get clean afterwards?

Unfortunately, The Color Run doesn't provide any details on how to get clean post race. They do suggest, however, that if you'd like to keep the color on your shirt, you should spray it with vinegar to set the color and then iron it. 

In the post race area, The Color Run does have someone with an air blower to blow the excess dust off people, which is nice. The line was super long, so we opted to shake off what we could. We also brought old towels to cover the seats of the car. I definitely recommend doing that. At some point, the towel on my seat slipped down, and when I got out of the car, the seat was covered in blue powder from my back. It brushed off the leather seat, but it's easier to wash an old towel. I also brought baby wipes with me but they didn't really do much, which made us concerned about how we were going to the color off. 

I was COVERED in color, even under my clothes. Somehow, a TON of blue landed on me. It looked like someone had swung and hit me with a Smurf. Even my feet were covered in blue. I have no idea how it got in my shoes and through my socks! 

We had brought baby wipes along so we could clean up right away. While that helped to remove the loose powder, it didn't remove the staining. My friends and I were a little concerned at that point. Someone mentioned that baby oil would help remove the color. I decided to take the idea of the oil and combine it with some brown sugar and honey for a scrub, but the idea didn't pan out at all. The coconut oil just made my bath tub greasy. The bar of soap wasn't doing it. Not going to lie, I was starting feel a bit panicked. If an exfoliant wouldn't get this out...what will?? 

But then I wondered... would conventional shampoo work? It contains sodium laureth sulfate, a chemical that is used as a degreaser in garages and strips color (according to my hair stylist). It's very strong stuff and the reason I don't use conventional shampoo anymore. This bottle happened to belong to a family member, so I stole some from them - shhhhh! 

I squirted some Suave on a washcloth, rubbed it where the color was, and the minute the shampoo hit the color, the color dissolved! Amazing... and scary at the same time. Imagine what this does to your hair - especially if your hair is color treated!

Within 60 minutes, I was 100% clean. Even my nails and hands, which were virtually black from all the colors muddling together and looked like they would be permanently stained, look normal. My nails aren't stained at all. I do recommend having a nail brush or some kind of brush on hand just so you can get it off of your feet. Shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate is very drying, so a little bit of coconut oil as a "lotion" afterwards helped restore the moisture.

That's it - shockingly simple. I've heard horror stories of people who lived with stained arms, legs, and faces for days. Make sure you have a bottle of shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate on hand, and you should be good to go!

The Color Run Is FUN!

This morning, my friends Tiffanie, Megan, and I went to National Harbor in Washington, D.C., for The Color Run 5K. Oh my goodness...if you've been thinking about doing The Color Run... do it! The Color Run says it's the "Happiest 5K," and it really is. All the volunteers were happy, positive, and fun. Everyone there to race was in a great mood and ready to have a fun time. The Color Run is definitely a race for all ages - kids to young at heart - and we saw all ages represented.

We knew it was about to be a ridiculously awesome experience when a unicorn emerged from the crowd. I could have died with excitement. I heart unicorns.

Be prepared for a ridiculous mass of people. The earlier you get there, the better. We managed to get in the second wave and they started things a little early since there were so many people. There was an emcee at the front of the line, music was pumping, volunteers were randomly raining The Color Run bracelets and magnets into the crowd, so it really made the wait at the start line seem minimal.

Along the race route are "color zones." When you run through a color zone, volunteers squirt you with colored food-grade cornstarch. I wore a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes from the powder and found myself pulling my shirt up over my nose because it made it easier to breathe through some of the zones. Staying in the middle of the color zone meant that we didn't get as much color on us as we wanted, so we made sure to get close to the edge where volunteers were "colorizing" participants.

This isn't a timed race - it's all about fun! Lots of people were taking pictures of themselves after each color zone, rolling around in the color at each zone - think FUN. Make sure to put your phone in a plastic baggy to protect it. Also, if you love your phone's case, consider swapping it out for a cheap one or going without the case. The color will seep into the case. I went cover free on my phone and it got a bit dusty, but it's completely fine. I also brought a plastic baggy for it just in case and didn't use it at all. 

Isn't this sweet?? These two ladies (mom and daughter, maybe?) made these signs to encourage the runners/walker.

Lots of people piled near the finish line to high five and cheer everyone on in the final stretch.

We were handed bottles of water, free Slurpees, and bars from KIND. But The Color Run kept the party going by having a "color toss" party. Everyone was given a packet of color in their race packet (included in the race packet was also a shirt, bib number and safety pins, The Color Run tattoo, and entry wristband), and we tossed our color in the air at the same time...and got covered in even more color. SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

 

My friends and I had a GREAT experience at the The Color Run and would totally do it again! Big kudos to the workers and volunteer crews who made it such a fun experience. It really is the "happiest 5K!"

Trying to figure out how in the world to wash all the color off after The Color Run and not be stained for days? Click here and I'll tell you what I used and how I got 100% clean in less than an hour in the shower using one bath item to make it happen.

Pineapple Pepper Chicken | 8 WW P+

As my kid bro would say, "Just call me butter, 'cause I'm on a roll!"

Seriously, I'm hitting some cooking home runs here with my experiments. I'm working on recipes that are simple to make, freeze well, and tastes as good reheated as it did coming out of the pan. If you have any recipes like this, feel free to share! I've been spending too much money on the pre-made frozen meals. Purchasing the organic, gluten free, dairy free meals - which run an extra $2-$3 over the "standard" frozen meals - is delightfully convenient, but really puts a dent in the budget. I'm mystified how a frozen meal, which uses fresh ingredients, no weird unrecognizable preservatives, could cost so much more. I'm not the only one who thinks that's backwards, right? I appreciate the convenience though, so I'm glad it's there for when I need it. But... I need to really kick my laziness in the backside and just start making my own meals again. Sigh.

This recipe got a thumbs up from my dad. In case you don't know, my family thinks I make "weird food," so to have an endorsement from my day... that's big stuff.

Quick recipe notes: if you don't like quinoa, you could use cooked rice, cous cous, or another grain - whatever floats your boat. Not keen on frozen peppers and frozen pineapple? Use fresh by all means. Frozen is what I had on hand. Want to make this completely gluten free? Use Tamari or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.


Pineapple Pepper Chicken 
Serves 4 | 8 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving (1 cup of Pepper Pineapple Chicken over 1/2 cup of prepared quinoa)

2 tsp coconut oil
1lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite sized pieces
16oz frozen red, green, yellow pepper strips (like Trader Joe's Melange a Trois)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple bits (like Trader Joe's Frozen Pineapple Tidbits)
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 scallions, thinly sliced


Sauce
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lime, zest and juice of
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbls water


Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook another 3-4 minutes or until you start to smell the onions cooking. Turn the heat up to high and add the frozen peppers and pineapple tidbits. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the frozen items thaw and the liquid evaporates.

While the chicken, peppers, and pineapple cook, combine all the sauce ingredients from chicken broth to the soy sauce in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch mixture to the rest of the sauce ingredients. Pour over the chicken mixture and stir until thickened and the sauce forms.

Spoon 1 cup of Pepper Pineapple Chicken over 1/2 cup of prepared quinoa. Top with some scallions, and enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup

I have been in a total food rut lately. Looking back over my grocery bills, I can see that at least one meal each day has consisted of a pre-packaged frozen meal. While they've been organic, healthy meals like Amy's Kitchen and Evol, to do them every single day really puts a dent in the budget. So, I've been kicking myself in the rear and trying to get myself back in the habit of making actual meals again. Cooking for one is hard, but I'm making sure I have plenty of containers on hand so I can take the leftovers and create my own frozen meals. This recipe saved me massive dollars in the pre-packaged food department - even using all organic ingredients.

BTW - I made this and took it in for my coworkers to try. It got total rave reviews. It's one of the finest soups I've ever made!

Beef and Tomato Macaroni Soup
5 Weight Watchers Points+ for a 1 cup serving

8 cups beef broth, divided
1lb ground beef (I used 85/15)
28oz diced tomatoes in tomato juice
6oz tomato paste
1 cup frozen chopped onions (or one large onion, chopped)
10oz sliced mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles

Directions
Place all ingredients in large slow cooker, except for 1 cup of beef broth and the uncooked macaroni noodles. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in uncooked macaroni noodles and reserved beef broth. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

* No need to cook the beef ahead of time - it cooks in the soup

* Make it gluten free by using gluten free beef broth and gluten free macaroni noodles, like Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta. 

* Fresh is always better, but you can use 2 Tbls dried basil in place of fresh basil.

The Tale of Two Grocery Stores

And now a tale of two grocery stores.

The first store I went in, the clerks carried on conversations with each other, but I was never acknowledged. I passed by several clerks in the aisles, and there was no smile, no eye contact, nothing, even though I looked at them with a smile. When I went to check out, I smiled and said "hello" to the cashier. No response. I smiled again and wished him a good day as I put the last bag of groceries in my cart. No response.

The second store I went in, I was immediately greeted by a clerk who welcomed me to the store. Another clerk asked me if I needed help finding anything. I walked down an aisle and another clerk smiled and said, "Good morning!" brightly when I walked by. When I went to check out, a clerk was proactively called from the back so I didn't have to wait. The clerk invited me over to his register insisted on taking my very full, heavy basket from my hands, and carried it for me to the checkout counter. He even struck up a conversation. The young lady bagging my groceries offered to carry my bag to my car for me.

The moral of this story is: people remember how you make them feel. Both stores sell similar items. The first store is cheaper than the second store. But the second store didn't just sell groceries. They took time to acknowledge me as more than the person who was there to buy some lettuce, cashews, and apples. They didn't make me feel like a shopper. They made me feel like a person, and that feeling is priceless.

Refreshing Watermelon Drink

Just about every afternoon, around 3PM, my parents hop in the car and head to the nearest Starbucks for their "afternoon drink." So when they left today, I decided to make one of my own.

It's slightly sweet from the watermelon, bright from the mint, and refreshing from the coconut water. I'd take this any day over a coffee drink. Make sure to serve in a big jar with a straw, and sip away!


Refreshing Watermelon Drink

2 big handfuls of frozen watermelon cubes, divided
2 or 3 mint leaves
1 cup coconut water
2 cups water

Place one big handful of watermelon chunks in a big jar or glass. They'll be like delicious ice cubes. Put everything else in the blender and blend until pulverized. Pour over frozen watermelon chunks in jar and enjoy!