Friday Favorites - March 31st 2017
TGIF!
We made it. Yes, yes we did. I am grateful for another day that God has given me on this mighty planet and even more grateful to commence the weekend. I purposefully went into hiding this week after having the busiest several months of my life (it felt like) that by last Sunday I hit a zero energy wall and thought to myself, it's time to rest and catch up on my to-do list. So, that is what I did this week. It was glorious. I can't say that I fully caught up, but there was progress, quiet time, and no booze.
Now, honestly I will admit that I did not intend to write a Friday Favorites post immediately following my What's Up Wednesday post because that does include just about everything I could possibly have to share from this past seven days. However, I do have some fun things I want to mention so thought I'd at least share a short post and save my "2017 swimwear" post for next week.
In no particular order:
Favorite #1
My friend, Konni, recently brought in these Thunderbird Real Food Bars (made in Austin, TX) from Whole Foods for us to try. They may seem pricey, but man are they good!
What I like about the ones I've tried is: the ingredients are Paleo/Whole 30 friendly, they're less sweet than the Paleo/Whole 30 friendly Larabars and less sugar/carbs/calories, and the texture is lighter/less chewy than the RX Bars I've suggested before (and do also love).
I've only tried three of the flavors (below) that Thunderbird has to offer and do know that not all of them are Paleo/Whole 30 friendly because one of the flavors I've seen has quinoa in it, so just be careful to read the ingredients before purchasing if you're following any kind of dietary guidelines like I do.
Pricing wise, your best bet that I've seen is to get them at HEB and Central Market for about $2.30 per bar. Whole Foods shows them at about $2.50 per bar. Amazon shows them at about $2.72 to $3.00 per bar. If you have a store nearby that sells them then that's your best option. Instacart lists them at all three stores if you can use Instacart and my referral code is RBrittain22 if you're new to signing up! (Y'all know I love Instacart). If you have neither then Amazon it is!
I do not make a habit out of eating any kind of nutrition bar regularly, but try to keep them around for desperate times of intense hunger (it happens, I'm a bottomless pit it seems) or when I travel.
Favorite #2
Truly I would allocate this to having seen my friends so much this past week, especially one in particular who was in town but I have already raved about that! So, this outfit gets a favorite spot because hello comfortable and cute all balled into one. Plus, the original price points I snagged these items at cannot be beat.
You can see the front of the dress above, and the back of the dress below. I thought I'd take the gamble of ordering something else from this store I haven't even thought about in a decade and stumbled on this $17 dress and $4 earrings there for so low of a price I thought, why not? And I'm glad I did. Even if I only wear it a handful of times I'll more than get my money's worth.
My super cute BP Summers Cork platform wedges are from last year and I'm sad they do not yet offer them again this year, though I suspect closer to the summer they will. They were only around $50 when I bought them and apparently the only size available now is a women's 5.5. Not many of us have tiny feet, but I do know a couple of you that do so perhaps you can snag them. Click on any of the three images below to be taken directly to the items.
My Elaine Turner clutch is no longer available either, but there are similar ones and other options included below.
You can find similar styles in dresses, earrings, wedges, and clutches in the selection below, by clicking here or by copy and pasting this link into your browser: http://www.shopstyle.com/collective/everypiecefits/42777315
Favorite #3
This avocado mango salsa. Oh-Em-Gee. I prepared this "salsa" for a dish I made last night that will be shared on the blog soon and surprise!!!! The meal will not be chicken. ;) That is what I lean towards making all the time and I branched out last night to make something different for y'all. Delicious is an understatement; however, I was quickly reminded why I do not branch too far outside of chicken/beef. I was utterly grossed out touching this thing. EWE. We're talking squealing and gagging. End result was great, the prep work not so great.
This "salsa" I could literally sit down and eat only this for a meal. No precise recipe for it, and I assure you you cannot go wrong. I would caution to make sure to make enough to share if you have anyone lurking over your shoulder. It's so good.
I used: 1 small mango, 1 small avocado, lime juice, lemon juice, diced fresh parsley, a lot of dried cilantro. I have half of it left over for tonight as I tried not to devour the entire thing.
Note to my sister and her hubby: make this for Mammaw asap! And I wonder if it would be good with pineapple since Mammaw likes that too? I'm on to something here...
Favorite #4
One of my night's in hiding this week, and before I went to the store to make the dish referenced in #3 above, my pantry and refrigerator was bare to the bone. We're talking some remaining, straggling vegetables to use up, no eggs, a can of tuna kind of situation. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to go to the store. Well, I'm 100% OK with just roasting vegetables on any given night and it is my favorite meal to make for myself (seriously) but I also had a recipe for a (Paleo) grain free flatbread that didn't even require eggs! So, of course I had to try it because I had everything else on hand.
The ways that I failed this recipe are: a) I do not have a cast iron skillet, much less a 5" cast iron skillet small for personal sized flat-breads (tortilla sizes), b) I wasn't even thinking and poured the entire batch of batter into the copper skillet when the batter is supposed to make four personal sized flat breads, c) you can see in the last picture that I had to tear into it to make sure it was cooked all the way through because of problems a & b. All that being said, the flavor was great and the way I prepared it would actually make for a really great flat bread "pizza crust". The copper pan worked just fine making it, except for the size of course, which also meant I had to bake it longer to allow the center to solidify.
Note - I wouldn't recommend eating this all of the time because tapioca flour is very starchy but does help hold it together. I haven't explored other versions of this yet. The below is my end result for dinner. I roasted a whole head of cauliflower that I had thrown in the freezer weeks ago when I realized I wouldn't get around to using it, sauteed shredded Brussels sprouts in coconut oil, and a piece of the flat bread. It got the job done.
Favorite #5
I couldn't close this without mentioning my churches' recent sermons. I have been touched by them in so many ways, to the point of tears. OK, fact - lots of tears. Don't you just love when you receive a message like that? I referenced these in my What's Up Wednesday post two days ago so I'll only touch on the highlights from one of the services:
Hope City: This was the final sermon in the series called BRK THR (Break Through) speaking on trusting God with our path and future, not to look back or be defined by what other people think and expect of our lives. Pastor Jeremy uses David and Goliath throughout a lot of the sermon. Some of the key phrases that stood out to me are:
- In a time of trouble and opposition, stay focused on God and He will provide you peace.
- Sometimes people will put you in a place in hopes to DESTROY you, but God has called you to that place to DEFINE you.
- The enemy will always be a bully in the valley's of your life.
- It is our choice in how we respond to things that happen and to let something/someone offend us.
- We confuse a challenge to opportunity to be an opposition, when really an opposition is an opportunity.
- Do not be swayed from what God is calling us to by what other people think should happen in our lives. (Guilty of allowing this!)
- Pray confidently and proclaim God's promises. It doesn't guarantee He will answer our prayers or that it is His will, but we should act in faith. (Read: Hebrews 11)
- Do not let the battles and oppositions keep us from our destiny.
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
Well that sums up the highlights of my past week that I didn't touch on in my What's Up Wednesday post two days ago. I hope everyone has had a blessed week as well as has a wonderful weekend ahead. Are you doing anything fun this weekend? What were the highlights from your past week? Any new recipes or old trusty recipes you can share?
I'll see you all back here on Monday for Monday's Menu recipe post!
Oh and P.S. I will be doing another giveaway soon so keep your eyes open for that to be shared!
XOXO
For fun:
