Was that on purpose?

I love getting a good night's sleep...  Ok, I bet I would.  It is a rarity in my bed to sleep all night, uninterrupted, blissfully until morning.  Typically a small, yellow haired girl will sneak in and need retucked into her own pint-sized pillow top.  However, with a new perspective, that's not so bad.  In a few years I will miss that little giggle as she whispers (quite loudly) our names and pulls us from our sleepworlds. 

Lately, I've realized that every waking moment in my life (even when I am awoken by my daughters) is another moment to fulfill my purpose.  My purpose to be the best mom I can be, to be the best wife I can be, to be the best person I can be.  Because, I've learned that I cannot be good at anything, I cannot be a leader, a teacher, a friend, I cannot have solid footing in any arena unless my feet are solidly planted in my home. 

We went to Success School in Dallas, TX, last week.  Success School is AdvoCare's biannual convention for others to learn about the company, the business, and the products.  We spent time with amazing people who love helping others.  We listened to the AdvoCare science and medical board talk about our products and how they help so many people be WELL- not just lose weight, that's a nice byproduct, but truly find wellness and healthy living.  We learned about the newest products from the people who made them.  It was amazing to hear directly from the doctors themselves.  What a decorated group we have in the science and medical board!

Success School was so much more than that, though.  We learned that the founder of our company wants more for us than to just make money.  It's really so much bigger than that.  Our purpose is to be the best person we can be, and that starts at home.  One cannot make a difference outside the home until there is strength, love and peace within the home.  We left Dallas with God in our hearts, with love in our hearts, and with a stronger purpose. 

What do you dream?  What is your purpose?  It's yours to be had.  I believe this, now more than ever.  My purpose sits on my lap, helps me in the kitchen, loves to play soccer, reads at night, smiles up at me, lets me wipe away tears.  My purpose is a gift from God...  even when they  wake me up at night.

Recipe post for you...

I had my first attempt at a fully vegan meal, and it was delicious!!!!!  It's a vegan lasagna.  I adapted a Pinterest recipe, and used soy meat and vegan cheese.  These are the main ingredients I used, besides the tube polenta, which I got in the organic aisle at Kroger.

The sauce is delicious, too.  I got it at Whole Foods in my attempt to find a LOW SUGAR marinara.  Most have around 6 grams of sugar, this has only one!  It's great, and Pat loves it, too!

All you do is layer the ingredients as you would with any lasagna.  I sauteed some onions and garlic for a few minutes, then threw in the soy meat (strange consistency in the package, but just like meat in the pan).  Instead of noodles, you slice your polenta and use the slices in the noodles' place.

The recipe called for an 8x8 pan, which I do not have, so I used an 8x11.  I would suggest getting two tubes of polenta for anything other than an 8x8.  I didn't feel like I had enough.  Also, I used only a clove of garlic, but would suggest more.

Of course, I cannot locate the exact recipe I adapted, so here's what I did:

Polenta Lasagna

One tube polenta (organic)
One jar pasta sauce
1 lb soy meat or other meat substitute
1 pkg soy cheese or other cheese substitute
1-2 cloves garlic minced
half onion minced
salt/pepper to taste

Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the pan and top with the first layer of polenta.  Then layer meat/onion/garlic mixture, cheese and more sauce.  Top with another layer of sauce and then repeat.  Finish with a layer of cheese.

Bake at 350 covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake until cheese is melted on top.

The next time I'd make it, I think I would layer some spinach leaves in there, too.

When I find the original recipe (not vegan), I will post!  Sorry about that.

I AM healthy!

I recently had a conversation with a friend that went something like this:
ME- hi
HER- Stop losing weight!!!!!
ME- I am not trying to lose weight (for once in my life), I'm eating clean and providing my body what it needs to work at its best.
HER- Right... (laced with sarcasm)

It's funny. I have spent the vast majority of my life counting calories, fat, carbs, points, whatever- all in the name of weight loss! I completely stop doing that, look instead at ingredients, and I am thinner, fitter, stronger and healthier than I have ever been... And no one believes me!!!! The irony!

So I think I've figured out why. When people struggle with their self-image it's easy to seek out a quick fix. Counting points or calories is easy. The actual diet of the person doesn't always change, but their perception of their diet does. It works for weight loss, but in the end most (not all) gain it back. Otherwise we'd all pay for the points counting club one time and be done... Me? I paid 4 times. Get the idea? My girlfriend found it easier to understand depriving myself over changing my lifestyle. Too much effort.

Tomorrow we are heading to the lake to soak up some sun an build castles in the sand. I'm looking forward to the time to relax and unwind. I plan to sleep in and stay up late. The only thing I will count are the stars in the sky. Ought to be plenty.