veggie burgers are good. who knew?

I know, I know, veggie burgers are not exactly a ground-breaking discovery. They've been pretty mainstream for years. But they are new to me. I've always been of the persuasion that some things should not be messed with. I don't eat a lot of burgers, so if I'm in the mood for a burger, I'm gonna have the real, juicy, flame-grilled deal. Sometimes, there's just nothing better. But to me, a good burger isn't about tasting the beef. It's about delicious savory seasonings, bright, crisp toppings like fresh onion, lettuce and tomato and gooey, melty cheese.

this is a burger.

I digress. Where was I? Ah, the frozen veggie burger. During my first foray into vegetarianism, I boldly purchased what seemed to me to be the safest option. Boca vegan burgers (I was cutting out eggs and dairy at the time as well). They seemed "safe" because they're found in your local grocery store and I'd heard of meat-eaters even finding these babies tasty. So I put a carton in the freezer and there they sat. For um, about a year and a half. Until yesterday. I knew I needed some more protein in my life, so I bravely opened the box and removed one, individually wrapped meatless disc. Complete with faux grill marks. This cannot be good. I am generally not a fan of foods masquerading as something they're not. Then I think, this must be what some fast food burgers look like before they're covered by a cheese and a bun and I have eaten plenty of those in my lifetime.

yum.

I soldier on. I heat the skillet, the burger hit with a resounding thud. Huh. I waited the allotted eight minutes for  my frozen disc to develop a nice sear, placed it on my toasted ezekial bread and topped with spinach and my favorite dijon mustard. I still did not have high hopes. The moment of truth. I took a bite. It was good! No, really. It was. Not in my juicy fresh off the grill burger kinda way, but that's not what I was expecting.  I baked some sweet potato fries to go with it and lo, it was quite a treat on a Wednesday afternoon at home. I won't be serving these at a cook out, but for a quick, no-prep alternative to cold cuts, they're delicious.

ch-ch-ch-chia!

I little while ago, I noticed chia seeds popping up on various health blogs and recipes.  Folks talked about what an amazing superfood they were which really piqued the interest of this nutrition nerd. But, at the time I was having a hard time making it to the grocery store more often than once a month, searching for these crazy seeds just didn't stay on my mind for very long. Cut to the beginning of this year when my renewed commitment to overall health combined with my newfound love of creating meals at home and chia seeds were brought to the forefront once again. I did a little research and after reading all the amazing things these little babies are proven to do, knew that they must become a staple in my household. I hopped on over to my fav marketplace and ordered my very own bag of miracle seeds.

oh no, she didn't.

Oh yes, I did. Yes, these are the same chia seeds that grow into lovable pets, and no, they will not sprout and grow in your stomach. You know what they will do? Umm, the question may be, what can they not do? 

First up, they're high in protein and fiber, which keeps you full longer and aids digestion. American diets are generally low in fiber because grains that are naturally high in fiber are stripped of this essential nutrient during the process of making them look and taste "better" (ie, white rice, pasta made from white flour, most cereals). So if you're not consciously trying to add fiber to your diet, you're probably not getting enough.

These sneaky little devils are also great for helping you stay on track if you're making an effort to eat healthier. They expand and form a gel when combined with water or stomach juices, which helps stabilize blood sugar. Usually, around mid-morning, I find myself suddenly feeling weak and reaching for something sweet, like a piece of chocolate. Same thing happens a few hours after lunch. That drop in blood sugar makes me think I need a sugar fix instead of filling up on something nutritious. But since I've been adding chia seeds to my breakfast smoothie, no more blood sugar drops! It's pretty amazing actually. The other day I realized I hadn't had any my daily allotment of Dove dark chocolates. I had not even noticed that I didn't crave something sweet all day. I thought it was a fluke, but two weeks later I realized those little seeds may be doing something after all. For me, quick results from something so simple makes me want to hand out chia seeds to everyone I know. That gel also aids in hydration to which is helpful if you work out a lot, or if you just exist in the South during the summer. It also helps you absorb the nutrients from all those healthy foods Dr. Oz is telling you to eat.

Last but not least, these little babies are chock full of omega-3's. You know about omega-3's, right? They do all sorts of awesome things like improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, fight cancer, help prevent heart disease, reduce inflammation (inflammation causes all sorts of problems like arthritis, cystitis, anything else that ends in -itis), support brain function (even the brain of your baby if you're pregnant or nursing) and have been shown to help kids and adults with ADD and ADHD. Up till now, I thought I needed to eat salmon for breakfast, lunch and dinner or choke down fish oil supplements to get my dose of omegas (not happening). Chia seeds have no taste, no prep work--just sprinkle them on whatever you're eating-- and you only need a tablespoon per day, so for me, getting my daily dose is beyond easy. Oh and if you're like me, you're probably thinking that something this amazing must be super expensive, right? Nope. Two pounds for under $13. That's a lotta chia. But, they have an amazing shelf-life, so you can keep them till you use them up or dole them out to your friends and make believers out of them as well. So go. Get some chia seeds. You'll thank me.

image found here

L is for love.

I've got a confession to make. I have art investment paralysis.  It's a major issue and it needs to be dealt with. For some reason it is easier for me to pick out a sofa than an eight inch print for my wall. Anyone else have this problem? I guess I'm waiting to stumble across pieces that just speak to me. I want the art in my home to be personal, reflective of me and my family, and also something I like to look at every day. Alas, the bare walls in my home are not minimalist chic. They are cold. And boring. Thus, I must spend a little more time perusing what's out there. Unless I expect the perfect quirky little print to hang in my powder room will jump out at me while I'm pondering produce on my twice weekly grocery runs. Not gonna happen.
So I decided to take a gander at some etsy shops. Now, I say I love etsy, but my previous experiences have proved somewhat fruitless. I'm easily overwhelmed and usually don't even know where to begin...kinda like when I try to shop in department stores. But today, I took their nifty little "Taste Taste" and was pleasantly surprised by the results.  How cute would he be in a nursery?

And I need this in my kitchen. Bacon and eggs anyone?

I love myself a beach image.

images via etsy

Maybe there's hope for those sad little frames just waiting to be hung in my dining room after all.

well, hello.

My name is Claire, and this is my blog. I've gone back and forth over what I want this blog to be, and it may go an entirely different direction once I get started.  But I love the idea of focusing on what nourishes me. Body and soul. Okay that sounds cheesy. This blog will not be cheesy. Okay maybe sometimes, because I have to be me and who doesn't love a little cheese?


First up, God. I'm on a journey with Him and I'm gonna need to write about it.


Design. My husband and I built and moved into our first home this past summer and while trying to figure out how we wanted it to look, I discovered design blogs and online design magazines. This discovery rocked my world. Who knew you could make your home feel young, modern and chic without furnishing it solely from West Elm and Restoration Hardware. There are other options out there! No need to fear consignment stores and flea markets! (Okay, I still fear them a little bit.) But design is awesome. Good design. I like to talk about it.


Food. I love food. Love it. Always have, always will. Food is what nourishes me, gives me energy, and brings me joy. But, food has no power over me. I've dealt with body image issues, like most women. Fed myself the lie that skinny equals healthy and that calories in vs. calories out are all that really matters to feel your best. Not true! So not true. I've dabbled in veganism and vegetarianism, and during my short-lived attempt at veganism (I'm leaning back into it) I realized how much what I put in my body affects the way I feel, my energy levels, even my mood. I'm super passionate about health, respecting my body by giving it what it needs (REAL food!) and love helping others accomplish this as well. I just recently discovered that I enjoy cooking and am loving creating delicious, nourishing meals. Hopefully I'll have some recipes to share as I try them out and put my own spin on them.


Photography. Ah, photography. What can I say? I fell in love with the new digital, photo-journalistic style of photography of when researching (ie, googling) photographers for our wedding about three years ago. I am enamored by the way one image can evoke such powerful emotion and beauty. My wonderfully sweet husband bought me the camera of my dreams last year and I have yet to shoot out of auto mode. Auto mode is great and all, but what's fun about that? I'm committed to learning how to really use my camera (and Photoshop! which just arrived today!) so that I can finally start documenting our lives together.


So. Here we go. Welcome to my blog.