Kids home for Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving full of food, family and gratefulness!  We had an incredible dinner full of laughing and love.  Bobby and Clara were both able to come home and celebrate with us.  It is always wonderful having the kids come home for a little bit.  I always get a little nostalgic and wish they were still living with us, but I always snap out of it.  I love our new lives and I think it has made our family even stronger.

For the first time, Clara brought home her boyfriend for thanksgiving.  It was nice having another friend to share this wonderful time of the year with.  He was very nice and got along great with the family.  Hopefully he sticks around for a while. 🙂

I made a delicious meal for all of us, Clara even offered to bring some a side and a little desert.  She is so sweet and even followed my suggestion and brought a pumpkin dessert! 🙂  I made a turkey, all the “fixin’s,” and our favorite cranberry streusel for desert.

After our delightful dinner we pulled out the board games to relive the old days.  It was so much fun letting lose and relaxing as a family again.  We played everyone’s favorite game sorry and of course we had to conclude the evening with spoons.  It was so fun.

The kids left this morning to go back to their homes, and my husband and I relaxed all day.  🙂  I found some good ideas to make use of the leftover turkey…we have so much!  I found some good sandwich and soup recipes I can’t wait to make.  For dinner we made a delicious leftover turkey sandwich with tomatoes, avocados, cheese, and lettuce.  It was very refreshing after all that heavy thanksgiving food.

This time of year makes me really acknowledge how much I have to be grateful for.  I have such a wonderful family, a beautiful home, and great company I could not ask for more.  And thank you to my readers that have been reading the ups and downs of my middle aged life.  🙂  You mean a lot to me.

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving,

Until next time,

Nancy

Fight Tiredness with Food

There are some mornings when I wake feeling like zombie; and today is most definitely one of those days.  I don’t know why I feel so exhausted some mornings and be fine on others.  I am trying to watch my consumption of coffee and limit myself to one cup a day, so I have been looking for other sources to “amp up” my energy and fight my tiredness.

I have found some yummy foods to keep me alert and awake when I hit the wall in the afternoon.  There are many other food sources that can give you energy, here are a few I like and have started eating.

•    Almonds make a great midday snack and will pick you up during a slump.  They are full of vitamin E, magnesium, and contain lots of protein to sustain energy and make it last all day.

•    I was not mad reading that dark chocolate can fight tiredness. 🙂 Chocolate contains caffeine that will ultimately boost your energy, obviously in moderation.  I read that as a rule, the darker the chocolate the less sugar and more energy-boosting components it has.

•    I am not a huge fan of really spicy foods, but spicy herbs can increase your metabolism and give you an energy boost.  Spicy peppers can also aid in digestion too.

•    Popcorn is not only high in fiber but is also an energy boosting snack.  It is low in calories too; when I don’t smother it in butter…  😀

•    Leafy green vegetables are full of iron and help keep concentration levels high.  Iron from leafy greens promote red blood cell circulation and keep you alert and concentrated.  Tiredness is really common when you aren’t getting enough iron, so eat away Popeye!

•    Eating a breakfasts filled with whole grains will keep energy heightened all day.  Although whole grains contain a lot of carbohydrates, they are complex carbs that provide a steady release of energy all day.

•    Getting enough water is very important.  I have been learning to love drinking water, but it is still hard.  Eating watermelon is a good way to get water and have a delicious treat.

By making small changes in my eating patterns, I will be able to prevent my morning sleepiness and afternoon crashes.  The best part of these tired fighters is they are healthy!

Until next time,

Nancy