Friday Faves....

It is that time of the week again! Let's chat about the things that I am loving right now. Please sound off at the bottom of your joys for the week too! 
No surprises here...mine involves some coffee....

Thank you Katie for the link up!

Please forgive my lack of photography skills!

#1
I have had a long history of coffee. I have been drinking it for many years and many different ways. I took inventory of all of the ways that I have to brew coffee and it was fairly impressive...if I don't say so myself. 
-regular old coffee pot
-Keurig
-espresso machine
-french press
-cold brew (toddy)
-melitta (pour over)
an a
-ibrik

What is an ibrik? It is for making Turkish coffee. I forgot my love of this method until last weekend when I was down on the farm. It is made on the stove top (or in sand if you happen to have a ton of hot sand), and involves a process of boiling super find coffee grounds, water and a little sugar 3 times, then is served in tiny little espresso cups. I had only two servings last weekend, but it was servings last weekend, but it was so good! Did you know that they come in sizes up to 32 ounces? I think we are beyond espresso cups at that point. 


#2 This jam. It's my Jam. I picked this jam up from a farmers market and it is perfectly sweet. I don't tend to like most jam because it is usually made with high-fructose corn syrup and is just too sweet. This delightful jam has just persimmon, sugar, tangerines, lemon and pectin in it. Perfect on my gfdf bagels this morning!
Check out their website here --> http://www.mulberryorchard.com/ It is a little outdated, but I think the contact us link still works in case you want to buy some...which I recommend. 

#3
Weekends! Only one more clinic shift between me and the weekend, and I am looking forward to relaxing, shopping, and visiting the farmers market. I haven't been to my home town farmers market yet, we were out of town when the above mentioned jam was purchased. Mark got a job recently at Columbia Sportswear (woot woot), so I think we are going to be checking out the employee store for some new clothing. He has been sending me links to the things that he wants to buy. I am thinking about this dress. Thoughts?

#4
Books! I don't think any particular ones right now. My course load at school is dramatically lighter this quarter, so I have had a little more time to read - one of my favorite things to do. I have been making weekly trips to the library and probably have 6 books out on loan. I think I would love to be a professional student...If I never had to take another test or write another paper again. 217 days to go!

Questions for the day?
1. What is making your heart jump with excitement?

2. Do you have a favorite Columbia Sportswear item that I should try to find?

My Favorite (right now) Breakfast Smoothie

Morning!

Lately I have been doing the smoothie thing for breakfast, no that it isn't so cold outside. Having a smoothie on the wrong morning can leave me chilly all day and unable to get warm. My smoothies are usually a variation of the following ingredients - protein powder, coconut milk, PB2, instant coffee, kale, spinach, ice, frozen fruit and flax or chia seeds. 

Lately I have been drawn to the coffee focused smoothie. And lets be real....Coffee is the best. 

Smoothie Ingredients

1 C. So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla
1 C. Ice Cubes 
1 Packet Via - or other instant coffee that you like
1 Scoop Plant Fusion Vanilla Protein Powder
1/4 C. Ground Flax Seed

Put all in blender and blend until smooth....
Pour into favorite cup or drink right out of the blender. I have done both. 

Tip: Rinse blender out as soon as you are done with it. If the ground flax seed dries it is stuck like glue. 

When looking at smoothies I like to know how much protein I am getting and how much fiber there is. Both protein and fiber take longer to digest than simple sugars, and will leave you feeling fuller for longer. When consuming liquid meals I tend to get hungry hangry a little sooner than if I had just eaten a plain old meal. 

Protein Content: 27 g
Fiber Content: 9 g

I like to include flax into my smoothies because of its awesome nutritional profile and the amazing benefits. Flax contains Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 FA have anti inflammatory properties and help to reduce inflammation all over the body. In addition to the the fats, flax also contains both soluble and insoluble fiber to aid in digestion.

Flax should always be stored in the fridge to keep it from going rancid. And if possible, it is always best to grind it yourself. I purchase already ground seed due to living so close to Bob's Red Mill, in addition to going through it so fast - 1/4 cup a day in a 16 ounce package is roughly 17 servings. 

Questions for the Day (or week - I still don't blog all that often!)

1. Do you prefer flax or chia seeds in smoothies?

2. What is your favorite protein powder? 

The Yard

If I did my math right we are now 105 days into the the year 2015. 

And in those 2015 days we have done very very little no yard work. I think that we are the only person in the neighborhood who has not done any yard work. We still have leaves from last fall surrounding the flowering bushes and the rosemary. 

School and work schedules combined with not having a lawn mower since last fall has turned my yard into somewhat of a jungle. 

Grass is taller than Icarus and he is getting lost out there. It isn't hard to do when you are only 20 pounds and no taller than 10 inches at the shoulder. 

Backing up to last year, our lawn mower died at the end of the summer season, and we were not too concerned, because we would have some time to replace it. Grass doesn't grow much in during the winter here in Oregon. 

This February we decided that it was time to purchase a lawn mower and ordered on from Amazon. I know...I know...but Mark had some particulars he was looking for that were just not available in the stores - like one that wasn't self propelled and that was easy to clean (has a hose attachment for where the blades spin - is there a name for this?). So it came a few days later...but broken. Fast forward a couple more weeks and I finally had time to take it to the repair shop...fast forward a few more weeks and I remembered that I should call and check to see if it was ready...fast forward another week and we are half way through April. I remembered to finally go pick it up. 

Yippy we have a lawn mower again!

Weather is looking pretty good for the next 5 days, and hopefully it will be dry enough to

do a first pass. Then maybe the grass will just tickle Icarus' belly when he goes out to play. 

Friday Love

"Wahooo!"
-Yukon Cornelius -
I got bit by the Christmas bug this week.

It is week 9 of the term and after today there is only 3 weeks to go. I am really looking forward to being done soon. This girl needs a break. School is tough, no matter what you are studying. You don't get to turn your school mind off easily and take a break. You bring your books and laptop home with you and if you are not careful, school can become to your life.

To break this ugly cycle I like to focus on the good things in life. So here are my good things for the week. Enjoy!

The Good Bean
My mother-in-law got me my first bag of these in the Sweet Cinnamon flavor. I was hooked from the first bite. The Good Bean is a company out of California that has been around since 2010. They are roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans = same thing) with amazing flavors. So far I have tried the Sweet Cinnamon, Sea Salt and Thai Coconut. My favorite has been the Thai Coconut - it has a hint of lemon grass and it is a-mazing! These beans also the perfect snack. A handful if filling and satisfying, and the resealable bag is perfect for keeping in my back pack for snacks in between classes.





Countdowns
Today is big. HUGE. As of today, I have only 399 days left of school. Forever. Fin. That's it.
I started counting down when I had a little more than 650 days...so this is a huge milestone. In 399 days I will be finished with Naturopathic Medical School and tying up loose ends for my graduate certificate in Community Health Management. - Note: That is my hubby in the background.

Winter Weather
We had a lot of freezing rain yesterday and the day before. Everything in the yard is coated with a small layer of ice. The rosemary had a few buds on it, but I don't think they will last long. They sure look beautiful with a sheet of ice on them. There was the threat of school being canceled. But it didn't happen. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, I don't have class or clinic on Thursdays anyway. It takes a lot for our school to close. Last year they called it snowpocalypse. They closed the clinic for 2 days and it was very frustrating to have to make up the shifts. I actually think I still have to make them up. It is okay. I have 399 days to do it.



Title 9 Blow Out Sale
Title 9 is a clothing store that focuses on woman's athletic and outdoor clothing. They have a huge sale at the Oregon Convention Center every other year and this was my third year in attendance. This year I got some pretty great scores. A couple of skirts, a dress and some smart wool tights. I also picked up a Christmas present for a family member...but I'm not going to talk about since she knows about this blog.

Tonight I get to hang out  by myself. I plan on watching some How I Met Your Mother and doing my nails. I know. Super exciting. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? What are you counting down for right now?
 

Things I am Loving!

It has been a rough week. 

A couple of failed tests in school, a cold, 4 barking dogs and a general lack of sleep has compounded the general fatigue that I was already feeling. Following the advice of my husband, I am trying to focus on the positives and the thinks that I love this week and just sink into them.

Source

Here is what I am loving....

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Stepping into the shower today was wonderful. The congestion I woke up with was soothed quickly by the fresh smell of the eucalyptus combining with the steam of my shower. The steam helped to open up my sinuses and help me clear the congestion. I don't know too much about essential oils, but I do know that it is important to use therapeutic grade and good quality products.

Source

Coffee

You knew this was coming. When don't I love coffee? This week though, I have been adding a splash of some of my favorite holiday flavors. My choice this week is gingerbread coffee syrup from DaVinci. Don't get me wrong. A cup of good black coffee is my top choice any day of the week. But something in the change of weather has spurred the desire for some fall flavors. Adding an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of unsweetened coconut milk has hit the spot. 

Jamberry 

I have been following the blog Running4Cupcakes lately and Katie has some many wonderful pictures sporting some fancy nails. So I put in an order today, hopefully they will serve me well. I am not a fan of painting my own nails, so hopefully this will help. Also, Katie is also a doc, and although I am not one yet, it is fun to see some stylish physicians out there. You can email her to get a free sample of Jamberry nails if you are curious! 

Hydrotherapy

This therapeutic of natural medicine has been around a long time that uses water to help increase immune function and decrease down time from colds. Hydro typically uses contrasting temps of water, to help stimulate the lymph and increase blood flow. I have been using hydro to get over my cold this last week in the form of steam inhalation, warming socks and throat wraps. But I refuse to end my showers on cold....I just....

Source

 

My weekend is almost here. One more shift tomorrow, and my one day weekend will begin!