Tonight's Dinner

So this week has been a little stressful, due to some external forces in my life. I seriously considered just ordering a pizza tonight because I've been so tired. However, I chose the higher road, and I'm glad I did. Pictured above is what I made. Left over brussel sprouts (the gift that keeps on giving) made for an easy side dish. I also made parmesan encrusted chicken. This is one of my easy go-to's for chicken. I use mayo made with olive oil to cut some of the fat. The chicken of course, is organic. I made another go-to dish, my easy cheesy zucchini rice. The rice is organic, but the zucchini is not. Also, just a touch of cheddar cheese makes me feel like I'm eating something rich and creamy. As an added bonus, it makes the house smell delicious.

On a side note, I've been able to catch up with a lot work friends this week, both previous and current colleagues. I would like to note work has been amazing. It feels so great to be back. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I work with an amazing team of people!!! They have been the highlight of my week. :)

Love and prayers,

Holly

Simple Dinner and Dessert

It's been a tough week this far, but life goes on and so do I! So here's a post about...more food! Let's get into it, shall we? Here's what I had for dinner tonight (and shhhhh....last night too. Yay! for leftovers!)

Pictured above, is chicken that I sauteed. If you follow me on instagram, you know that I do that a lot. Pre-cancer, it was because chicken was a quick cooking protein that I could add to our mainly veggie meals (as John has PKU). Now, it's because I can easily find organic chicken. It's a lean protein that I don't feel bad eating. I also eat some fish, but that's about it for meat. Also pictured is Israeli couscous mixed with vegetables. (Want to know more about Israeli couscous? "Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, is similar to regular couscous in that it's a small, whole grain-like food made from semolina or wheat flour. Israeli couscous also has a low glycemic index, making it a healthy and high-fiber food.") And of course, roasted brussel sprouts. For those, I just coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them in the oven. They're also great left over. 

Lately, I haven't been craving sweets as they have mostly been cut out of my diet altogether. However, I was in the mood for a little something sweet after dinner tonight, so I made this little beauty:

This is a pretty straightforward item. Organic vanilla bean yogurt topped with fruit. I just used what I had on hand, which was strawberries and blueberries. I've also done with the strawberry yogurt and used strawberries and bananas. It's a nice little treat with some added natural sweetness. It was just enough to satisfy my craving!

So that's it folks. My night in food. Hope you are all doing well!

Love and prayers,

Holly

Let's Get Real

So last week I had my chemo treatment. I have begun to dread going in for treatment. It's a long day and then the side effects start over (they're always the worst immediately after treatment). I had scans to see the progress of the treatment. Overall, they weren't bad, but they weren't as good as I was hoping. I really struggled with this past round of chemo. The doctors are saying that if I fully recover, I'll still be very likely to have a relapse. That is so hard to hear. It made me feel that all this work and fighting is for nothing. Overall, I try really hard to stay positive. I've made drastic changes to my diet to help my body fight against the cancer. But there are times that I'm angry that I got cancer. I'm angry that I have to go through this at a young age. I'm angry that I don't get more time. I'm angry that I didn't do something sooner. I'm angry because I don't understand why God is putting me through this. Then there are days when I'm at peace. I'll be honest, it's an up and down journey.

Love and prayers,
Holly

More about food...loaded sweet potatoes

If you're sensing a theme...you're right. It's all about food this weekend. John and I usually make a "menu" for a few days, go grocery shopping to get the food items needed, then desperately try to stick to it. Luckily, I had a lot of vegetables and such on hand so we didn't need to go crazy at the grocery store. One item that I've stocked up on are sweet potatoes. They're so versatile and tasty, not to mention healthy.

I was inspired by this recipe from Food Blogger Pinch of Yum. If you're into cooking, you should check out her blog. There are a ton of delicious recipes, many of which are vegetarian.

So John and I set out to make a similar take on sweet potatoes. We started by simply baking them. Once they were cool enough to handle, we mashed-up the "innards" with a little butter, salt and pepper.

Then came the toppings. I cooked a can of black beans (once rinsed), with a little chicken broth, a bay leaf, and 1/8th tsp of cumin and chili powder. I just added a little salt and pepper to the corn. We also wanted chives, but the store was completely out. :( John also added a little taco sauce to one half of his). The berries were dessert.

This is what it looked like once we added the veggies. It could be eaten just like this, but we added an additional ingredient that added a little creaminess (see below). I also had a chicken breast for protein on the side. 

Next, we both added a little cheese for taste. I didn't think it would add much, but I was mistaken. I just added a handful to top everything off, and it added a creaminess that elevated the whole dish.

And there you have it! A loaded sweet potato! Overall, this was a satisfying dish, and I didn't feel guilty eating it. What have you guys been eating this weekend?

Love and prayers,

Holly

My journey with oatmeal

Since my diagnosis, I've been trying to eat healthier. Less sodium, caffeine, and processed food, and more organic, natural food. This includes lot's of fruit and veggies, and of course, lean protein. Something that I've kind of strayed away from is oatmeal. Growing up, my mother would make instant oatmeal mixed with a packet of jelly (yes, she took the packets from restaurants). It was gross and made me avoid oatmeal for a long, long time. While in Lansing, John's parents made steel cut oatmeal with dried fruit and it was AMAZING! Now, I'm hooked. John and I had some this morning and I took some pictures and I thought I would share.

I got organic steel cut oats on sale. You should get some if you haven't tried them. They're on sale right now at Meijer. Just sayin'. They take a little longer to cook, but they're worth it.

I add dried fruit while the oats are cooking. Once the oats are done, the oatmeal looks this. You can eat it like this...or add delicious toppings. 

These are the toppings that we had this morning. I added a little bit of everything...half and half, bananas, blueberries, and a touch of brown sugar. I didn't add anymore dried fruit because I added a lot to the oats while they were cooking, but you certainly could. 

This is the end result. Everything is added in, you mix it together, and enjoy...which I did. Very much. Overall, I find this to be a healthy and tasty breakfast. It makes the memories of instant oatmeal and jelly packets fade quickly. 

 I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm! 

Love and prayers,

Holly

Why is it so c-c-c-cold?!

Seriously, old man winter, feel free to ease up on the FREEZING. Today was my first day back to work. The roads were snowy (p.s. I just tried to write snowly), and slick due to the FREEZING COLD temperature outside. As most of you know, one of the main side effects from the chemo is an aversion to cold. My hands/feet/mouth/nose/anything exposed to the cold gets numb and tingly, and I cough. A lot. So that was less than desirable. However, I braved the cold temp, and I'm glad I did. It felt really good to be back, surrounded by familiar faces. It was a great reminder of how awesome the group I work with is! I really hope to be able to work my way back up into a normal routine. Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes, texts, and messages. It feels amazing to face the day, knowing that whatever may come, I have an incredible group of family and friends supporting me. :) Good luck to all who are stuck in this deep freeze! Try to stay warm!!!!

Love and prayers,

Holly

Birthday Fun with Paint!

Today was my 30th birthday. John, some friends, and I met up for another session of painting, followed by dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. We had a really fun time! Here's a picture of our group (except me, I'm taking the picture):

Next week I am going to attempt to go back to work, starting small, and working my way up (hopefully). I'm nervous, but also anxious to get back to a somewhat normal routine (not sure, what "normal" is anymore, but I'm ready to get back to it).

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Again, thanks to all who had participated in my fundraiser. I am beyond blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!!!

Love and prayers, 

Holly