Posted on

Sunday Chilling

After a crazy Saturday, I spent Sunday chilling in my human-sized dog bed with my puppies. To be clear, the puppies came and I went, but I didn’t leave the comfort of the bed. Fortunately, I felt really good on Sunday. I was concerned that I’d be really sore and it would take a while to recover from the 5k. The takeaway is my current training program is effective. Now I’m focusing on improving my speed and reducing my time. There was one downside to the race. I made a mess of my shoes at the race by traipsing across the wet lawn.

I spent Saturday night at the rink with family and friends watching the Mayor’s home opener. The Jr Cats took on their crosstown rivals, the Palm Beach Typhoon. Honestly, the game was closer than I imagined it. The Mayor and his partner CJ, played awesome together for the first part of the game. Until there was a scrum behind our net, where someone went after the Mayor, and CJ took care of business. The ref tossed CJ from the Game, but we couldn’t really see what happened from where we were.

The game was fairly chippy, but nothing too insane. My mom did, however, find it to be quite aggressive. It was a lot of fun to watch, though. I enjoyed it. Watching a hockey game where everyone wants to be there and is bought in is a thing of beauty. It’s a big shift from U-18, where half the team cares and the rest don’t care at all. They had a quick turnaround with another game on Sunday. Unfortunately, they lost, and the Mayor got injured. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t seem to be severe.

2025 Goal tracker:

  • Run a 5K: achieved! The new goal is to finish in under 32 minutes at the next 5K.
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I finished Pride and Prejudice on Saturday and am now reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on Instagram, give me a follow!
  • Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I thought a lot about how I would answer this question and decided to give the sports mom answer. When the boys were young, Goalielocks skated at MEGA Goaltending at the National Sports Center with Coach Justin Johnson. One piece of advice he gave to the parents of the campers was to ensure our hockey players don’t let hockey define their identity. Rather, their identity should be cultivated around a multitude of different interests. This is important because kids who learn to identify themselves only with their sport will struggle mightily when their sports days come to an end.

Posted on

5K Goal Slayed

I slayed my 5K goal this morning. After a six-year absence from running races, I am back!!! I’d be lying if I said it felt fantastic, but it didn’t feel terrible either. Perhaps the worst part of running a 5K is having to get up before the sun rises on the weekend. After years of doing that for hockey, I quite enjoy sleeping in on Saturday. Nevertheless, I left my house just before 6:00 this morning.

To train for the 5k, I’ve been doing 45-minute treadmill workouts through Apple Fitness. I was nervous that the training wouldn’t translate to the road, but fortunately, it did. I think before my next 5K, I’ll throw an outdoor training run in there. Thankfully, cooler weather should arrive shortly, making outdoor training possible.

As for the run itself, the first mile was horrible. The entire time, I was questioning my sanity. Honestly, who tortured themselves like this? As mile one ended, however, I found my rhythm and started to feel pretty good. Miles two and three were slower than mile one, but they felt comfortable. I grabbed a water bottle at the first water table. Thankfully, I was able to store it in my leggings pocket when I wasn’t drinking.

As I came to the finish line, I felt like I had more in the tank. Importantly, I only almost threw up once after the run. Thankfully, I didn’t. After finishing, I walked for fifteen minutes to cool down my legs and lungs. Next time, I’m not going to stop running at the finish. I’ll slow down gradually before walking it out. This should prevent me from getting sick. I’ll In the end, I took second place in my age group. My time was just over thirty-two minutes, which was better than I anticipated.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: achieved! The new goal is to finish in under 32 minutes at the next 5K.
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I finished Pride and Prejudice on Saturday and am now reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on Instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What’s your all-time favorite album?

Oh man, this is a hard one. I think after looking at this through multiple prisms, Green Day’s Dookie is my favorite album. It was one of the first CDs I had and has influenced my musical taste ever since.

Posted on

Last Training Run

I just finished my last training run before Saturday’s race. Today’s training session was a thirty-minute treadmill session, which I thought would be easy. Perhaps easy isn’t the right word. I figured, however, that a thirty-minute treadmill workout after running 45-minute treadmill workouts would feel like a relief. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I think this is in large part due to running 45 minutes yesterday. Fortunately, I have two full days to rest my legs before the race.

Tomorrow I’ll do the upper body Sweat workout, and then on Friday I’ll do the ab one. The ab one isn’t super intense, so it’s perfect for the day before the race. In the meantime, I’ll keep doing yoga every morning and stretching at night. I’m doing everything I can to keep my legs and hips loose for Saturday. I definitely don’t need a harassing injury to slow me down; I’m pretty sure I’ll be slow enough on my own.

From 2020 to 2025

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I finished Pride and Prejudice on Saturday and am now reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

How do you celebrate holidays?

I celebrate the holidays by spending time with the people I love most. The holidays are such a special time for me because it’s one of the rare times everyone is home. It sucks not having the kids around all the time, so having them home is amazing.

In addition to the family time, I enjoy baking all of our traditional family favorites. These dishes have really become the fabric of our holiday season. Each dish has a special connection to our families or our ancestors. It’s special to bake holiday cookies with the rolling pin handed down to me by my grandma, who was given it by my great-grandma. Keeping the culinary traditions alive is a way of always staying connected to our family and our heritage. I look forward to passing it on to the next generation.

Posted on

Got the W

The Jr Cats got the W this afternoon as they took on the Florida Everblades is Estero. Inexplicably, the game was at 11:45 am on a weekday. This makes it hard for folks to watch the game and support the team. Since we are super slow at work right now, I took the day off to watch his game. The hubby and I are a bit nervous how the extended game time with ice cuts will impact his blood sugar.

We carpooled with Alex and Gabby, which made the ride a lot of fun. The drive across Alligator isn’t terrible until you get to Naples and the traffic materializes. It took us just over two hours to make the drive there. Fortunately, the weather was great for the morning commute. Surprisingly, I made it the whole way without a bathroom break. Unsurprisingly, I’m completely dehydrated now that we’re home.

The Mayor and his BFF CJ stated the game for the defensive core, which was exciting. They announce the starting lineups before they play the anthem, which is cool. It was looking a little harry in the first period for the boys, but I think they needed to shake the nerves off. Consequently, the Everblades struck first. Thankfully, the Jr Cats answered pretty quickly. The first period ended with a 1–1 tie.

Fortunately, the boys found their legs in the second period. While the Everblades struck first in the second, the Jr Cats again answered pretty quickly. An Everblades player took a five minute major for a face mask, which led to the Cats scoring three goals on the power play. The Everblades gave the Jr Cats an inch with that penalty and they took a mile. The period ended with the score at 4-3.

Between periods, we opted to hangout outside to unthaw as the rink was colder than a mountain glacier in January. I may have forgotten to put my lens cover on before walking outside, so the camera was fogged up for a while during the third period. Nonetheless, I think we all appreciated the fifteen minute breaks from the cold.

The third period was great. While the Everblades had their chances, the Cats closed the door. It was only the first game of the season, but the boys were all enjoying themselves. Honestly, it was refreshing, after years of travel hockey, to watch a game where everyone playing wanted to be there. Both sides were working hard. It was physical, but I didn’t think it was overly dirty. More than anything, it was fun to watch. The game ended with a Cats win and a 7-3 final score. Anyway, they got the W!

Naturally, we watch the Dexcom nervously as we watch the game. His sugar seemed really high for most of the game, but it’s hard to know if the Dexcom was reading accurately. Based on his effort and behavior, his blood sugar wasn’t impacting his ability to play the game or make decisions. He does have an Accu-Chek on the bench, so he’s able to sanity check his Dexcom before treating the hyperglycemia. It’s gonna be a work in progress, which is what we expected.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

Do you see yourself as a leader?

On some days. I’ve held leadership positions at my last two companies. I really enjoyed working with folks and helping them find their best version. On the other hand, leading in the corporate space involves a lot of bull shit. Nonetheless, while I may not have a formal leadership title at work, I do lead through employee engagement initiatives.

Posted on

Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!

Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!! On this day in 2022, we officially failed fostering Arrow, and he became one of us. Since that day, Arrow has brought us nothing but joy. He’s the sweetest, happiest dog. Arrow loves exploring outside. His preferred prey is squirrels. He loves chasing them up a tree. In addition, Arrow is highly food-motivated just like me. Actually, he’s even more food-motivated than me.

His brother Anakin tends to be a bit moodier, but Arrow handles him like a champ. If he sees another dog outside, he definitely wants to go mingle. Anakin, on the other hand, wants to focus on catching the nearest duck or lizard. Arrow is quick to greet our visitors. Meanwhile, we have to lock up Anakin when we have company. They’re an odd couple. I’m so glad they’re our odd couple. We love them both dearly. Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What are you doing this evening?

I will be doing nothing but cuddling with my puppies and watching mindless television. Like many Americans, I was shocked to see the video of Charlie Kirk being assassinated. Honestly, I wish my eye could unsee it. Unfortunately, we’ve come to a place in this country where people think shooting people they disagree with is okay. They cheered when the UH CEO was killed just as they cheered when Charlie Kirk died. I don’t care what your politics are; you have a right to your opinions. I have no right to inflict violence against you because they don’t align with mine.

Posted on

The Universe

Does it ever feel like the universe is conspiring against you? I was intent on having a great day until the universe threw a wrench in it. It never fails to amaze me how out of touch some people are with reality. Are they even on the same planet? Now, some days the universe conspires to aid you. That, however, hasn’t been the case lately.

I would like to share with you some of my universal truths. First of all, the Minnesota Vikings or any Minnesota sports team will only win if they turn off the game in disgust first. JJ McCarthy, I’m looking at you. Secondly, it’s absolutely traumatizing to realize the starting quarterback for the Vikings is the same age as your middle son, not the oldest one. When did I get so old? Thirdly, an 8:15 pm start date for any sporting event is way too late for anyone born before 1990.

Outside of sports, wherever you work and for whomever you work, you’re just a number. Corporations, especially public ones, only care about the stockholders. No more was this apparent when one of my associate directors died, and the C-Suite and senior management couldn’t even be bothered to address his team. The message that the employee learned nothing from them couldn’t have been louder if they had said it out loud.

Another example is when they told a long-time employee they were firing him while he was on long-term leave for cancer treatment, that he’d be rehired once he finished, and he was only losing his medical coverage. I know what you’re thinking: the medical coverage is the most important piece when someone’s battling metastatic cancer, and you’d be right. The moral of the story, do your best, but don’t sacrifice your nerves, health, or family for a job that sees you as replaceable.

Since it’s hurricane season, here’s another weather-specific truth. If I prepare for the storm, it won’t come. I’ll leave you with a couple more gems. I don’t bet on my sports team as it is a guarantee that they will lose. If I wear a white outfit to dinner, I will stain it before the night is out. My kids will not hear a word I say until I’m gossiping about something from the rink. Then their ears work perfectly.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

A major red flag for me is people who make work their whole personality. If you have ever worked for someone like this, they fail to understand how work isn’t everyone else’s whole personality. Another red flag is someone who is always looking for ways to write people up. I had a boss like that. It was so bad, I was waiting for her to start writing us up for dress code violations even though we’re remote.

Posted on

Saturday is for the Dogs

Saturday is for the dogs. Which is a play on the “for the boys” nonsense hockey players like to say to each other. At any rate, today, like every other day in our house, is for the dogs. I’m fortunate to be able to work from home and spend every day with them. Anakin and Arrow are the best sales assistants around. I don’t think so. They don’t even burn popcorn or reheat fish in the microwave. They’re the ideal co-workers.

The boys and I started our morning with a walk around the block. There’s always so much to see that the walk takes a while. Birds, lizards, and ducks distract Anakin immediately. Arrow, on the other hand, gets super excited to see a squirrel. Neither dog can concentrate on anything else once they’ve seen their target. Eventually, I got them to do all of their business, but it was a process.

While I enjoyed my coffee on the couch, the puppies chilled with me. I did manage to have a productive morning by taking care of the dishes, the laundry, and the floor. Don’t worry, I saved some of the fun for the afternoon. After heating some leftovers, I got my clothes folded and put away. To be fair, I still have some that need to be put away. Unfortunately, my closet is full. It’s reached its weight limit. I am definitely in need of a closet upgrade.

P.S. If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!

P.S.S. I’ve recently partnered with Zulay Kitchen. I’m super excited about this partnership as I love to bake. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt

How do you relax?

I like to work out, bake, read, and spend time with my dogs to relax. My workout routine keeps me sane, while reading helps me decompress every night. My dogs’ unconditional love and attention is everything. Their presence and cuddles make me so happy and relaxed.

Posted on

Summer Reads

My summer reads have been so much fun. Instead of buying 86 more books, I decided to revisit some old friends from my bookshelf. Once I finished my journey with Josephine Tey, I started my summer of re-reads with Tolstoy’s War and Peace. From Russia, I moved on to 19th-century Britain and the Brontë Sisters. I may or may not have thrown in a random Elizabeth Gaskell novel, too. I’m currently re-reading Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, which is so good.

Re-reading your favorite book is like returning home to relax with your good friend. Once I finish my current book, I’m going to reread my Jane Austen collection. It will be so fun to go back to an era in which I’d love to live. Truth be told, I want to live in the Jane Austen world with modern medicine. I have no desire to die from communicable diseases that have been largely snuffed out in the Western world.

Here is my summer reading list:

In re-reading the Brontë sisters, I find that I’m really drawn to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It tells the story of a woman who makes a poor choice of husband and has to live with the consequences. More than that, it told the story of what 19th-century British society allowed men to get away with and demanded their women accept. Which Brontë sisters’ book is your favorite?

Ann Brontë was ahead of her time, and this book was controversial at the time. In fact, Charlotte tried to make excuses for Ann’s and Emily’s take in Wildfell Hall and Wuthering Heights, respectively. Emily’s version of romance between Heathcliff and Catherine upset a lot of people. It should be noted that Charlotte’s take on all of their novels was given in the forward of their re-released after both Ann and Emily had died. Lastly, I really enjoyed Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was sweet, well-written, and ahead of its time.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here.
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins as part of my summer of re-reads.
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt

Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

I had to look it up, but the furthest I’ve been from home is Trondheim, Norway. At first, I thought it may have been Helsinki, but that’s only 5,200 miles from home. Trondheim, on the other hand, is 5,800 miles from Palm Beach. We drove from Oslo to Trondheim with baggage in tow the day we landed in Norway. It was so cold that I had to wear a scarf under my collar even though it was the middle July.

Posted on

Vegas

We went to Vegas for our anniversary back in July with our good friend John and his son TK. It was the first time I had been to Vegas since 1993. To say I was excited to go would be a gross understatement. First of all, I love to travel and I feel like I’ve gone nowhere this year. Secondly, I love being able to get dressed up and enjoy a night out. Lastly, I was excited to see how Vegas had changed since my last visit in the early 90s. I also packed eight dresses since I relished the opportunity to get dressed up.

As expected, the weather in Vegas was hot. Fortunately, it wasn’t terrible since we come from south Florida where it’s always hot. We also missed some severe weather that hit earlier in the week. I don’t love the dry heat. To be more accurate, my skin, lips, sinuses and hair do not love the dry heat. My lips were chapped and my hands were so dry. I opted to not blow dry my hair to avoid damaging it. So if you go and you’re not from an arid climate, make sure you bring lotion, saline nasal spray, and chapstick.

There are plenty of hotel options on the Strip. We had a beautiful suite at the Cosmopolitan with a wrap-around balcony. The room and the views were absolutely stunning. In fact, the guys really enjoyed the nice views of the pool club that was beneath our balcony. If you’re booking a room at the Cosmopolitan and like your quiet, you’ll need to ask for a room away from the day club/nightclubs. Otherwise, the sweet driving base of a club anthem will put you to sleep or keep you up.

Our friend stayed at the Palazzo so that we would walk over there in the morning. Naturally, we’d grab our Dunkin’ coffee on the way. Be aware that a Dunkin’ coffee will set you back $8 on the Strip. It was too far to walk back at night in heels so we would take a cab. Each cab ride set us back $25-$30 per ride. The cab costs definitely rack up quickly. I will say that the cab and Uber drivers in the city were consummate professionals and pleasant.

While I thought the cost of breakfast was ridiculous, the cost of our fancy meals (be it dinner or lunch) was completely reasonable. By reasonable, I mean they’re in par with what you’d expect to pay at a similar restaurant in South Florida. These meals were next level in every way. My favorite was Mizumi at the Wynn. The level of service they provide was second to none, as was the food. In fact, I desperately needed a Band-Aid due to blisters that had developed on my feet. The hostess got several from security, which was so appreciated.

The next night, we ate at Cut, which is located in the Palazzo. Luke and I enjoyed a Wagyu steak, which was so good. The appetizers, including a seafood tower, were extraordinary. Again, the level of service provided was second to none. The next day, we ate at Bouchon for lunch. I cannot wait to go back for dinner. We ate a Delilah that night, which is such a cool place. When you walk into it, you feel like you’ve walked into The Great Gatsby. Again, the food and service were incredible.

The last day we had lunch at China Poblano in the Cosmopolitan. I really enjoyed it. For dinner, we ate at Sushi Samba, which is a Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese fusion restaurant. I really enjoyed Sushi Samba. Like Mizum,i you share the dishes, so the portions are not ridiculously huge. It was the perfect way to end our Vegas trip. Needless to say, it will take no manipulation to get me back to Vegas.

I know what you’re thinking. Your Vegas blog is all about food. It is, but it can’t be helped. You can’t miss the culinary scene in Vegas. We didn’t have one bad meal or bad service anywhere. When we weren’t eating, we were playing the slots at the casino or sleeping off the lunch mimosas in the sauna. I did quite enjoy my time at the Canyon Ranch Spa and would highly recommend you visit it if you have the chance.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here.
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins as part of my summer of re-reads.
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still poor

What does your ideal home look like?

My ideal home looks like the one I live in now, only cleaner and with a pool, sauna, and all my kids home. I don’t need a lot, but I do need my family and dogs.

Posted on

Spring Bakes

While we didn’t go anywhere for spring break this year, there were plenty of spring bakes in the house. Since the Mayor’s diagnosis, I’ve been baking sourdough bread several times a week. I started with a sourdough boule recipe, but switched to a sandwich bread that the guys like better. It’s also easier to slice. The recipe is quite simple and doesn’t include a lot of active time, which allows me to multitask.

When everyone was here for graduation, I made the sourdough star with Biscoff instead of Nutella. I loved it with Nutella, but both my dad and Melly are deathly allergic to hazelnuts. Consequently, I don’t keep anything with hazelnuts in the house when they’re in town. It went much better than the previous times I made it, thanks to the assistance of my mom and hubby. I would make it again with Bischoff, but I would use a lot more of it next time. The flavor isn’t as strong as Nutella, so it needs more cookie butter for the flavor to come through.

I love cheese, but everyone already knows that. To go with chili, I made Brazilian cheese bread. This bread is perfect for the Mayor as it has 10 grams of carbohydrates and protein. Two of my favorite baked goods with cheese from this spring are the focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, and the brioche with Brie. Both of these breads are delicious and store well in the fridge.

Now I wouldn’t be my mother’s daughter if I didn’t include cookies in this blog. Some of my most treasured memories from childhood are baking cookies with my mom and grandma. The nice thing about baking my cookies is that I don’t have to fight my brothers for the bowl. This spring, I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies with Reese’s Pieces. When I bake the cookies, I weigh each one so they’re all the same weight. This way, I can give the Mayor precise carbohydrate counts by cookie. So let me ask you, what’s your favorite bake?

Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

There are several things I practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle. One, I practice yoga every morning before work. Secondly, I read every day before bed. I also try to get to bed every day at the same time, with no electronics allowed once I’m in my room for the night.