theopinionatedrunner

[theopinionatedrunner]

Our Birth Story

It was a Thursday, just like any other Thursday. I woke up, got ready, and headed into the office. I had been registering high blood pressure, so I was scheduled for testing twice a week at that point. My doctor's office called that morning and asked that I go to a different location because their machine was not working properly. I had been to the other office on one other occassion when my doctor was booked. I was excited to go to that location the first time, because I would be seeing a midwife and was very interested in having a natural, medication-free birth. As it turned out, I really disliked her, and hoped to never see her again. Everything looked good at this appointment, until the nurse tested my blood pressure. She said, "I need to go speak with the doctor. You may have a baby today." As someone who was struggling with high blood pressure, and was in an unfamiliar office, I really wish this nurse would have been a little more delicate with her words. They decided to send me to triage at the hospital. I had actually already been to triage on Monday of that week, but after several hours they sent me home because everything looked good once I was there. This time, the on-call physician came in the room and my blood pressure immediately went up to 170/110. Guess who! It was the midwife I had seen before and disliked so much. We had a birth plan. We had attended childbirth classes and knew how we wanted our experience to go. My doctor had been very understanding of our plan and is always very conscientious of how I feel. But this lady's bedside manner was unforgivable. She showed no regard for how I felt or any understanding of how upset we were. They took a urine sample to test for protein, drew some blood samples and started an IV. We were admitted that evening. They immediately wanted to put me on magnesium sulfate due to my high blood pressure, but that would have meant that I would need a catheter as well, which terrified me. You also cannot have anything but ice chips while on this drug (At this point I could only have clear liquids, popsicles, and jello, so moving to only ice chips sounded unbearable!). So, I continued to refuse the magnesium sulfate, despite multiple doctors trying to convince me. With the support of my nurse that night, my blood pressure remained low enough that it was not much of a concern anyway. The induction process started around 8 PM. They placed a Cytotec pill by my cervix to help me to start dilating. Several hours later they checked to see if I had made any progress, and I was 1 cm. They decided to place a second Cytotec, hoping it would dilate me further. Several hours passed and I had not dilated past 1 cm. Next, they wanted to try a method using a Foley bulb, but they had to break my water first. A Foley bulb is a catheter that is inserted above the cervix and then inflated to form a bulb, placing pressure on the opening of the cervix. It took them three attempts to get it placed correctly, all of which were very uncomfortable. They were surprised that I was able to endure this process without an epidural, but I was determined not to have one. My nurse continued to tug lightly on the Foley bulb every so often to see if it was ready to come out. It would come out when I reached 4 cm. After the Foley bulb came out they started me on Pitocin, which was given through an IV drip. Over night and into Friday morning, I had started to feel a lot of anxiety. I struggle with anxiety on a regular basis as it is, but to be put in a situation where I was uncomfortable with the on call physician, overheard a woman screaming bloody murder, and to have my whole birth plan unraveling before me, really set me over the edge. I was so surprised on Friday morning when my doctor showed up! It was such a relief to talk to her. I am still so grateful that she came by, because it's not something that she had to do. She was able to talk me down a little, and she also ordered some medication for my anxiety which made a huge difference. She was the first person to tell me that I was now considered preeclamptic due to the protein they found in my urine. I feel like someone should have told me that before then. (Note: My labs on Monday showed no signs of preeclampsia, so this is something that can change within just a few days.) I shared my concerns about the midwife with her and told her that under no circumstances could she return to my room. I felt bad, like I was being a brat, but there really is no explaining just how upset that midwife made me. It is my understanding that the Pitocin makes labor and contractions a much more difficult experience than I would have had if our baby had come on his own. Casey and I continued to labor for hours, and hours, and hours… We used several of the coping techniques that we had learned about in childbirth class (rocking, breathing, birthing ball, etc.). He fed me ice chips that were like little pieces of Heaven. They would check me and we would learn that I had gained a centimeter, maybe. But more often than not they would say that there was no change, despite our efforts. I specifically remember getting stuck at 7 cm for four hours, then 8 cm for four hours. Contractions had gotten so frequent and strong that I was vomiting with each one. I cannot explain the place I slipped into during labor. I was so focused on getting from one contraction to the next, everything else faded away. Finally, Saturday morning, I agreed to accept intervention for the pain. The anesthesia team brought in nitrous, commonly known as laughing gas. Unfortunately, that did very little to comfort me, however, I am still not certain that it was hooked up properly. When that did not work, I reluctantly gave in and requested an epidural. I believe that was Saturday around noon. I was also given a catheter at that time, so I allowed them to begin the magnesium sulfate. It did not take long for me to realize that that the epidural was not doing its job. They had to adjust it several times to numb me completely. I fell asleep within minutes once the epidural was working correctly, and when I woke up for them to check how dilated I was, they told me it was time to start trying to push. It was just the nurse, Casey and me. I said, "Don't we need a doctor?!" The nurse said we'd try to push and just see what happens. It only took one or two pushes before she said, "DON'T PUSH!! I'm going to get the doctor!" I remember it being much easier than I had anticipated to push the baby out. The hardest part was holding my breath for 10 seconds during each push. I have always been a very emotional person, but being with Casey has really mellowed me out. I fully expected to cry when our baby was born, but all that I could do was smile and look from Casey to our baby and back to Casey again. Shortly after he was born, the doctor asked me to push one more time to deliver the placenta. I had a 2nd degree laceration, so the doctor and medical student stitched me up. We remained skin to skin for the first hour, and then they took him away for all of the other routine things that follow birth. The hours that followed delivery are a little foggy for me, but the baby was brought back-and-forth between our room and the nursery so that we could get some rest. The nurses would come in and "massage" my abdomen every little while and it wasn't near as bad as people had told me it would be. As the hours passed following delivery, I continued to feel gushes of blood as I moved around. At first they were not concerned about it but when it did not stop, they became worried. They did an ultrasound to confirm that there was no placenta remaining, but they did see some blood clots. They ended up needing to perform what I later found out was basically a dilation and curettage (D&C), which is a procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus. This was very painful! I remember there being multiple doctors, nurses, and members of the anesthesia team present. They gave me morphine and attempted the procedure, but the pain was too much. Next the anesthesia team gave me a drug called ketamine. I knew it was serious when the anesthesiologist double checked with Casey to confirm that he wanted to be there while this took place. As soon as they got me the right dose of ketamine, everything went grey (By "grey", I mean the color grey. It was all I could see!). I could somewhat hear what was going on around me, but it was as if I had left my body. I remember thinking that I might be dying, and that if I was, it was not that bad as far as pain or anything, but that I really did not want to leave Casey and our new son. They finished up in a matter of minutes. While I was in this altered state, I heard a nurse tell me that she was going to give me a shot in the leg and that it would give me diarrhea (Thankfully, it did not!), but I could not respond to her. I ended up losing about a liter of blood and they began to discuss whether or not a transfusion was necessary. I'm so thankful it was not! The assumption regarding why I was bleeding so much is that my uterus was too tired from laboring for so long that it could not contract back properly and stop bleeding. We were moved to the postpartum area after I was taken off of the magnesium sulfate (you have to stay on it for 24 hours after delivery). They continued to monitor my temperature and blood pressure. They were concerned that I was running a bit of a fever. They came in to take blood to check for infection, but they were taking four vials, not just one. The nurse explained that someone had been stuck with a needle during my delivery! While I was continuing to be monitored, they were also concerned about the baby. His blood sugar levels were getting low and he was quite jaundice. Luckily, we were able to get him fed just enough to raise his blood sugar levels without supplementation, and to keep his jaundice numbers somewhat down. They kept track of my urine output, and I drank as much water as possible in order to meet their requirements ASAP. My temperature never really went down, but they released us Monday afternoon at rush-hour. I got a call the following day to let me know that I had a urinary tract infection, go figure! For being a relatively healthy person beforehand, I was very out of my element to be facing these struggles. One of the most scary parts of this whole experience was by far the anxiety that I suffered about 3 or 4 days after delivery. As someone who struggles with anxiety already, I was taking escitalopram before pregnancy. I was able to drop my dose down to 20mg during pregnancy, because everything was great. When I started feeling this anxiety post-delivery, I knew it had to be bumped back up. Luckily, after being treated for anxiety for so long, I am able to recognize when my medication needs to be adjusted. The things I felt for those 48-72 hours before my medicine kicked back in where downright terrifying. I was not worried about making it from one day to the other, I was worried about making it from one MINUTE to the next! I could absolutely not wrap my mind around how I could make it through. Through what? I don't even know! Watching TV made it worse and having visitors made it darn near unbearable. I had no appetite and could hardly bring myself to eat for days. Everyone was bringing us all this lovely food, and the only thing I could stomach was yogurt, berries, and applesauce, and even those things had to be forced. I was so worried that my lack of appetite would affect my milk supply. Thanks to Casey, during those rough days, I was able to get away to our room to sleep it off a bit. What helped me most was getting out of the house. It didn't matter where we went as long as we went somewhere. I could not stand the thought of Casey going back to work at the end of two weeks. Yet somehow when that happened, I survived. The most important thing that this experience taught me is the amount of love that I have for my husband. There is absolutely no way that I could have gotten through the labor, delivery, and aftermath without him. He was the perfect partner, there to support and coach me through every moment. There were many moments in the weeks after our son was born that I'd find myself in tears, thinking about how much I love Casey and how thankful I am for him. I am forever grateful that God chose me to be his wife and the mother of our son.

[theopinionatedrunner]

Unwanted Attention

Earlier this week, I stopped by a local gas station to fill up and get a bottle of water. As I was leaving the store, a man held the door me. As usual, I thanked him and went about my business. That’s where the “usual” ended. He said, “What’s your name?” I shook my head and kept walking to my car. He followed me to my car and asked me again, “What’s your name?” I responded, “Why do you need that information?” He said that he wanted to know me. I told him that I didn’t think my husband would appreciate that very much. He said, “Oh really? Well let me tell you something. When God made you, he made no mistake. Everything I see is perfect.” Trying not to be rude, I said, “Thank you,” wishing the gas would finish pumping sooner. He told me his name was Omar and thank goodness, he walked away. Then, he proceeded to watch my every move from across the parking lot. Nothing about this situation is okay. First of all, do not follow a young woman who is unfamiliar with you to her vehicle. Secondly, when she does not respond to your advance, and especially when she explains that she is married (which you should have already noticed), do not continue to badger her. Lastly, there is nothing appealing about someone who stares at you from a distance. When did it become okay for men to approach women in such a way? I have to admit, it is one of the less aggressive ways that I have been approached by a strange man, but nonetheless, left me feeling violated. I very vividly remember grocery shopping one evening when a man yelled at me, “Girl, where you get that ass?” Excuse me? Had my husband approached me in this way when we first met, I would have felt just as repulsed. Are there women who actually respond positively to this type of attention? That’s the only reasoning I can come up with to explain why this trend has continued. If you are one of those women, shame on you. How do you handle unwanted attention and advances from unfamiliar men?

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! FINAL DAY

Welcome to the final day of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! For the past 6 days, and also today, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to my blog entries from the past six days for information on freebie coupons from days one through six. Have you heard of Kombucha? Neither had I until I saw it at Whole Foods one day. Kombucha is a probiotic tea that is fermented for a period of time to produce a sweet and sour, fizzy tonic. Its origins date back over 2000+ years! Kombucha is living and is known for moving into your digestive tract, keeping everything clean and boosting your immune system. Visit the website for <a href=”http://livesodakombucha.com/”> LIVE Kombucha Soda </a> to explore the flavor options that they offer!

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY SIX

Welcome to day six of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! Today and tomorrow, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to my blog entries from the past five days for information on day one, two, three, four, and five’s freebie coupon. Today I’m featuring <a href=”http://hannahmax.com/”> HANNAHMAX Baking </a>. We all have different needs when it comes to cookies, and for some of us it depends on the day. Sometimes we need a soft, chewy cookie, while other times we are looking for something a little crispy! When you are looking for something on the crispy side, I encourage you to reach for a bag of these delicious cookies. They offer a variety of flavors: Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Sugar, Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Original Flavor, and our favorite – Sea Salted Peanut Butter.

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY FIVE

Welcome to the fifth day of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! Today, and for the next two days, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to my blog entries from the past four days for information on day one, two, three, and four’s freebie coupon. If there’s one thing that drives my husband crazy about my eating habits, it’s how often I would eat Mexican food if I could! That’s what makes me so excited to share with you our experience with Garden Fresh Gourmet . We absolutely love their tortilla chips and salsa! Their chips have just the right amount of salt and are perfectly crispy. Don’t forget to check out their yummy salsa, too!

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY FOUR + Bonus

Welcome to day four of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! For the four days ahead, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to my blog entries from the past three days for information on day one, two and three’s freebie coupon. My husband and I really don’t have ideal schedules for sit-down meals very frequently. For a quick weeknight meal, I love to throw together some tuna melts. What makes a tuna melt even better? Using Wild Planet Tuna of course! I especially love the fact that this tuna is not packed in water or oil! I hate dealing with that mess when I go to whip up a can. I like to add a little mayonnaise and relish – that’s it. Bonus time! I also received a coupon from Sir Kensington’s to try out their fabulous condiments, including mayonnaise! Make sure to check them out, too.

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY THREE

Welcome to day three of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! For the next five days, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to my past two blog entries for information day one and two’s freebie coupon. Day three brings us to Laurel Hill Chips . Again, something I hate to admit, but in our household we really love some good chips. Some may say that chips are chips, but no. You guys, these are the real deal. We LOVE their cracked pepper potato chips and their sea salt & lime tortilla chips. Aside from that, they also have pretzel chips! Do yourself a favor and indulge. In moderation, of course!

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY TWO

Welcome to day two of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons! For the remaining six days, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons! Please refer back to yesterday’s blog entry for information day one’s freebie coupon. Today I am featuring Walkers Gluten Free Shortbread . One of my favorite all-time cookies has got to be shortbread. Our family recently started trying to be as gluten-free as possible. While doctors have never suggested to us that we avoid it, from our own experimentation, we know that our tummies feel better without it! That’s why I was especially excited about this guilty pleasure – it’s gluten free! A perfect addition to my morning coffee!

[theopinionatedrunner]

7 Days of Freebie Coupons! DAY ONE

Welcome to day one of my seven day series: 7 Days of Freebie Coupons!

For the next seven days, I will share with you companies that I have reached out to and requested coupons from who have not just sent me cents off coupons, but FREE product coupons!

To kick things off, I’d like to share with you my experience with American Flatbread . As newlyweds, my husband and I tend to frequent the frozen pizza aisle far more than I’d like to admit. I noticed a brand that I had not seen before, and wanted to give it a try. They certainly did not disappoint. We tried the cheese and herb variety and it was delicious! I loved the sharp flavor of the cheese and the way that the crust baked in our oven was perfect. We can’t wait to sample additional varieties when we have a “pizza night” excuse again!

[theopinionatedrunner]

Hey everyone! I’m back from a long hiatus. As it turns out, building a house, planning a wedding, working full-time and a side job for fun can be quite time consuming! Some upcoming blogs that I have in the works are:

DIY Bride: How to Create Ribbon Wands

DIY Bride: How to Create Personalized Wire Hangers

DIY [BEACH] Bride: How to Create Seashell Bouquets

DIY [BEACH] Bride: How to Create Seaglass Earrings

DIY [BEACH] Bride: How to Create Beachy Boutonierres

Upcoming Reviews: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Forever I Do Wedding Planning Sarah Lyn Photography Video Our Wedding Destin Pin Up Girls Hair Studio The White Room Hilton Bora Bora Air Tahiti Bora Dive Center 100% Fit Nashville Quest Fit Nashville Hangout Festival 10 day green smoothie cleanse Tom King Classic

General Blogs: Sharing My Adoption Story More Couponing Lists Captiva Island, FL Treasure Island, FL

Check back for these blogs soon!

[theopinionatedrunner]

The Turkey Trot

Every year, Graceworks puts on a 5K race in Franklin, Tennessee called the Turkey Trot. Nashville Striders is often times a sponsor for this race. The race begins at D1 sports (Near Coolsprings Galleria). The course begins by running around the mall to the stop light across from Academy Sports & Outdoors. Then, the course continues down Mallory Lane until you get to the road by Target. Here, you run through towards Backyard Burger and make a right. Next, you continue straight until you turn left to run across the bridge at that covers Interstate 65. After crossing 65, the race continues back around by Prairie Life Fitness, and then loops around and goes back over the bridge and then around the other side of the mall and to the finish line. This is a race that I really enjoy participating in every year, and it's something that I look forward to. However, I do have some complaints about the way that this race is managed. As a race that is been going on for several years now, I would expect that the race management would improve year upon year. However, I continue to be disappointed each year. Usually, when you go to pick up your race packet for other races, you walk in and there is a table organized alphabetically by last name, and you tell them your first and last name, and they hand you your T-shirt, race bib, timing chips, etc. for this race, when you arrive to pick up your race packet, you first have to go to a board and find your name and your corresponding number. Next, you have to go to a table and pick up your bib that is in the packs of numbers. Then, once you have your bin, you go to a table to pick up your T-shirt. When you pick up your T-shirt, your size should correspond with the size that is on your bib. This year, however, I arrived at the pick up early, and they were not ready for me. I couldn't return later that evening, so my dad was kind enough to go and pick up my items for me. For someone who does not typically pick up race packet, the process could've been confusing enough. However, I registered as an individual participant, and apparently this was a mistake because something went wrong with my registration because I had registered that way. If you registered as an individual participant for this race, there's a good chance that there was something wrong with your registration, too. They needed you to put the number of people in your party. DUH! 1. Individual Registration=1. This means that there was no number to correspond with my name. This also means that there was no sticker on my bib saying what size shirt I would get. Apparently, this all happened because I didn't identify the number of people in my party for my INDIVIDUAL registration. Since there was no size associated with my name, my dad had to select size for me. Unfortunately, he decided to go with an extra small, and the sleeves were way too short for me. The next morning, at the race, I attempted to exchange my size for a more appropriate one. At this point, they only had extra small and extra-large left. The refreshments after the race were very nice. This year, they offered bananas, kind bars, sports drinks, water, and I think they may have had bagels as well. After the race, they went through a lot of door prize giveaways from raffle tickets that each runner received. There was also a bit of a competition between the local schools. Whatever school had the most raffle tickets torn and put it into their bucket won. Usually, I notice the schools out on the course cheering and making their presence known, so it helped me decide who to vote for. However this year, I don't remember seeing much of that. Finally, there is a kids run that takes place last. Overall, this is a race that I really enjoy participating in every year. I will absolutely be back again. My strongest complaints/opinions about this race are that the race management has room for much improvement.

[theopinionatedrunner]

I Run for the Party & What Do You Run For?

“I Run for the Party” and “What Do You Run For” are major red flags for me when I’m hunting for upcoming races. My experiences with these race management companies have been infuriating. When I’m "infuriated", it’s usually because something that should be easy, clear, and basically perfect is so far from it. When I sign up for a race, it almost always involves selecting a shirt size. So why is my shirt size not there come race morning? Every single race that I’ve run with either of these companies has had that situation. I don’t understand. Order what the participants order, and some extras in each size. Make sure those picking up shirts are getting the size that they registered for. If they’d like to trade, they can do so post-race if any remain. Problem solved. The staff at these events always seem more lost than I am when I have a question. Why aren’t they knowledgable on details related to the race? Friendliness might help as well. I really wish my experience was different, because very often, the races that look the most fun are managed by them, but I stay far, far away.

Short opinion on this topic, but like I said, things that should be simple and perfect but aren’t…that’s what irks my nerves!

[theopinionatedrunner]

Shop at Whole Foods for FREE! (Or cheap) - PART ONE

As I’ve been trying to create a deadline for myself to get this blog up, I’ve realized that this will be an ongoing project for me.  For that reason, I’ve decided to make this post a series!  Please check back for follow up posts every few weeks.

Did you know that many companies will send you coupons, just by contacting them and asking them to do so?  While our family has been working to eat a healthier, more natural and organic diet, it’s been a struggle to find coupons for those products.  I recently decided to contact some of these companies, on the off chance that they’d send me some coupons. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the companies below!

Some of them even sent me free products or coupons for free products!

If you’re interested in the brands below, contact them and try your luck!  Sometimes you just have to ask!

Applegate

Lundberg

Jovial

Enjoy Life

Justin’s

Quorn

Amy’s

Saffron Road

Freedom Foods

MaraNatha

Evol

Bionaturae

Kitchen Basics (McCormick)

Earth Balance

Bongiovi

Folgers

Santa Cruz Organic

RW Knudsen

Red’s Natural Foods

Lucy’s

Barney Butter

Eggland’s Best

Coomb’s Family Farms

Mediterranean Snacks

Aidells

Pamela’s

Good Food Made Simple

[theopinionatedrunner]

Lemony Green Beans With Almond Breadcrumbs

Lemony Green Beans With Almond Breadcrumbs

These green beans are so much more fresh and satisfying than a can of Green Giant!  Did I mention they’re super easy, too?  The citrusy vinaigrette makes them refreshing, while the almond breadcrumbs add a bit of savor!  This is definitely one of my favorite veggie recipes.

Ingredients��

1/2 cup blanched and slivered almonds

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free!)

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Flaky sea salt Pepper

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

Directions:

Lightly toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat. Let cool, then transfer to a food processor and grind to the consistency of breadcrumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, breadcrumbs, garlic, and lemon zest and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Set aside.

Place lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the remaining olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain green beans, return to the pot, and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette.

To serve, arrange green beans on a platter, drizzling with vinaigrette left at the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle almond and breadcrumb mixture on top.

[theopinionatedrunner]

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

This is one of the first recipes I tried when we started changing our diet, and boy, was it a hit!  This hearty dish will warm your insides and satisfy your hunger, for sure!  The recipe below makes a huge pot of chili, so you will likely have leftovers.  I love having leftovers for lunches the rest of the week!  Yum!  I choose to leave out the jalapenos, and I haven’t ever had a zucchini on hand to throw in but I’m sure it would be a great addition.

  Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (2 was pretty spicy for me!)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

  Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

  In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

  Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

  Garnish the chili with green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, if desired. This chili freezes well.

[theopinionatedrunner]

Vegan & Gluten Free 2-Layer-No-Bake-Peanut-Butter-Brownie-Bars

Vegan & Gluten Free 2-Layer-No-Bake-Peanut-Butter-Brownie-Bars

These brownies were a pleasant surprise! I definitely did not expect us to enjoy them as much as we did. I thought they would be lacking something, but they were amazing! I have very few criticisms for this recipe and instructions. Their suggestions were very thorough!

Click the link above to find the full recipe. For now, find the recipe below! You’ll see my notes included.

Ingredients

Brownie Layer 1 cup raw walnuts 1/2 cup raw almonds ~ 1 cup dates, pitted (Medjool or Deglet Nour) 1/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (non-dairy for vegan) 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa or raw cacao powder pinch sea salt

Peanut Butter Layer 1/2 cup pitted dates 1/2 cup raw almonds 1 cup roasted salted peanuts (if unsalted, add salt to taste) 1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter (if unsalted, add salt to taste) Instructions To make the brownie layer, pulse dates in the food processor until small bits remain. Remove from processor and set aside in a small bowl. (NOTE: When they say ��small bits”, they mean small bits that are wadded up into a ball/log. Dates are VERY sticky!) Add walnuts, almonds, chocolate chips and cocoa powder in the processor and pulse until well combined. Then, while the processor is running, drop small bits of the dates in until a dough is formed. It should begin to ball up at some point. If it remains too dry, add a couple more whole (pitted) dates until a dough is achieved. Press into an 8×8 pan (or one of similar size) lined with parchment or plastic wrap. This makes it easier to lift out and cut. Press until flat using your hands or a spatula. Pop in the freezer. To make peanut butter layer, process dates until small bits remain. Remove and set aside in a bowl. Then add raw almonds and peanuts and pulse until small bits remain. Add back in peanut butter and the dates and process until well combined. Press on top of brownie layer until smooth. Using plastic wrap or parchment can help get it completely flat. Freeze for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan and cutting. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh.

[theopinionatedrunner]

Grace's Best Cookies

Grace's Best Sunflower Seed Cookies

Sunflower seed cookies? Those can’t be any good! I don’t want a cookie that tastes like SUNFLOWER SEEDS!! Yes…actually, you do. These cookies are absolutely delicious. They have such simple ingredients and absolutely no preservatives! These cookies are made up of wheat flour, rolled oats, sweet cream butter, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. It’s as simple as that! They come in a cute green outer bag, with a sealed bag inside. There are about 60 cookies in each bag. The best news is that you get to have FIVE cookies as a serving, and for only 130 calories! I love the crunchy texture of the cookies. They are 1 ½” in diameter which is perfectly bite size! My favorite way to enjoy them is with a warm cup of coffee. You can pick up these delicious treats at Whole Foods, or on their website. You won’t regret it!