Meals get creative when there are lots of pieces and parts of leftover meals. Lovingly (and sometimes reluctantly) called Mussgeaux (as in, the food *must go*) is where my creativity shines!

Tonight’s creative challenge: Hormel chili, leftover t-bones, and cauliflower. How did I make that into something everyone will eat? I chopped up the steak and put it in a pot with the chili to warm. I steamed the cauliflower florets. Put some cauliflower in a bowl and spoon steak-chili on top! Voila! Delicious bowls for dinner!

I love a creative challenge!

No big long story here, y’all. I hate those recipes that are buried underneath so many words. TL;DR here’s the recipe:

1 egg

1 C light tasting olive oil

2 T Apple cider vinegar

1 T lemon juice

*put all of this in a Ninja blender or immersion blender. It makes a runny mayonnaise. Add these things to the mayo:

3/4 C canned coconut milk, mixed well

1 tsp salt

*blend again for 10-15 seconds. Add:

2 T ranch seasoning

Mix well. DO NOT BLEND. Refrigerate overnight or until ready to use. Enjoy!

“Keep moving forward.” – Meet the Robinsons

Tonight we spring forward, the worst of the time changes. I’m tired but I’ll be up earlier than needed. Why, oh why, do we still do this?!?!

I love the longer days. Sunshine is my energy and joy and life. I could live outdoors (as long as there was a pool and maybe a little AC). I can’t wait to have the sun around just a little longer in the evenings so we can do homework on the patio until the mosquitos come out.

Spring is so full of activity. Everyone comes to life and hurries to Get It Done. Summer is around the corner. The calendar is full.

Sometimes I lose my center.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed.

Sometimes I cry.

Sometimes, after I cry, I find my center again. I refocus. I persist. I keep moving forward, toward progress.

In these longer days, it’s easy to get lost in the “the more you do, the more you get done” cycle. Remember to take time to refocus, and use the longer days to carve out some sunshine for yourself. That time helps us to keep moving forward.

One of the funny parts of the Lenten sacrifice is abstaining from meat (land animals, specifically) on Fridays. Here in the Gulf Coast Region, that has been interpreted as seafood being a viable sacrifice. Well, let me tell you, it’s not exactly a sacrifice.

During Lent, every place that can boils crawfish on Friday. Every church has a fish fry. Every chef in town pulls out all the stops on their seafood specials. Friday becomes a celebration, rather than a sacrifice.

During our Whole 30, Friday becomes quite a challenge. Boiled seafood is compliant, seafood poboys not so much. We enjoyed the sunshine and pretty weather with a few pounds of crawfish and potatoes. The usual beer, corn, and sausage were our sacrifice.

I think it’s important to be conscious of the purpose of Lent. Again, it’s a sacrifice, not a punishment. We certainly made a conscious decision to enjoy the Sacrificial Lenten Crawfish, but not all the indulgences that go along with them. We make choices very often based on routine and habits. Lent breaks the habits and lets us focus on the reasons and motives for what decisions and choices we make.

I hope to keep making good, conscious choices. It’s only been three days…

You know how when you’re changing your diet suddenly all you can think about it eating? That was today. I was home most of the day on vacation. I woke up, made a delicious breakfast, very conscious of my Lenten Whole 30. After I finished, I went upstairs AWAY from all the foods to Marie Kondo my closet. This should take ALL day. An hour later and certainly it must be time for a snack. Back to work. Lunchtime. Back to work. Phew. Not done yet? Let me take a break with a little snack. Power through and finish. Dinner time! Clean the kitchen. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little something sweet? Oh, here’s some fruit.

It’s funny how when you try not to think about something, turns out that’s ALL you can think about. The good news is that I stuck with it. Even all my little snacks! I also got my closet looking like a TV show. Tomorrow, I’ll have a new task to keep my attention turned away from the elephant in the kitchen.

Mardi Gras is our family’s most wonderful time of the year! We parade and feast and revel and costume. We enjoy every bit of the season, especially King Cake! We keep our Christmas tree up until January 6 and welcome King’s Day with our first King Cake of the season for breakfast.

Throughout the Carnival season, we try new and different King Cakes, and even make our own. Each cake is savored and appreciated because we know as soon as Fat Tuesday comes, Ash Wednesday is right behind. King Cake goes away as quickly as it came.

So, this Lenten season, I’ll be reflecting on our experience in bringing balance to our lives. My purpose is to remember the good, work through the tough, and delight in the success. I hope it brings more meaning to my season.

I’m so excited to be starting the Blogging Adventure.  So many times I say, “I can do that” and do nothing.  I think “I’ll get to it someday” and then someday comes and passes.  Today is the day, I DO!  My ideas, my life, my time is here for me to share and LIVE!  I’m ready to start!  Join me as we take a ride to DO and LIVE.  Along the way, we will craft and cook and learn and take detours because this journey is about experiencing as much as we can.  Buckle up, kids!  Mommy Says is rolling out!