#LessStuffMoreLife
This had been my mantra for 2017. It started out with a mission of not buying any new clothes this year and it had turned into so much more.
I have given up "stuff." That's all. I have not went to buy unnecessary clothing, made late night trips to Target because I was bored and left with $50 worth of health and beauty products (and probably a snack) I didn't need, no shopping online because of coupons or free shipping, or purchase of another accent pillow for my bed. I will be honest, I have had my moment of desire but they always quickly subside from the impulse of just buying something because I want it or I think I need it.
I do not need anything. I have more than I could every want or use.
What I did need, was to realize I only shopped when something else was screwed up in my life. It was my therapy. When I was sad and angry, when life was complicated and exhausting, when I was hurting deeper than I ever knew I was, I would try to make myself happy with "stuff" and food. This year has been a huge component of loving the hell out of myself by not buying a bunch of crap and eating a bunch of crap because I was feeling crappy.
We all have a bag full of emotional stuff we carry around with us and constantly keep adding stuff to it. Once you really deal with what hurts your heart, you can start unloading the stuff, free up some space in your bag and fill it with a ton more life.
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Lori Graff.
Miss Lori Graff has always had me in awe of the wealth of knowledge she knows. She has more knowledge of health and nutrition in her pinky finger than I do in my whole brain. I admire this Registered Dietitian for being on the forefront of integrative health. She is a lifelong learner who is very passionate about disease prevention by taking the food and nutrition route first. I have known Lori for almost a decade now, but had no idea how her personal and family experiences has currently lead her to starting her own practice. She is innovative, educated and is open to new science and ways to practice and serve her clients. Everyone, this podcast is great and you will want to listen and learn as much as you can.
Connect with Lori at Lori@LoriGraff.com and her business Graff Integrative Health www.LoriGraff.com
Nosh Three. Week in Review.
On my quest for more life, I also realized I do not need to travel the world for new adventures or experiences. I can have them right here in the city I live in. How many times have you said "I wanna try that place or we need to go there" when talking about making plans and then you never do them? I do it all the time. So I have decided at least 1 time a month, I am going to do something I have always wanted to do in Des Moines. This week, I put on a pretty dress I found in the depths of my closet and set off for downtown Des Moines.
I began with a walk around the Iowa State Capital. If you look out from the top steps, you can see almost all through downtown Des Moines and Grand Avenue. It was beautiful outside and the sun was starting to set. A great start to the beginning of my day adventure in Des Moines.
Of course the adventure was going to involve food. I was looking forward to a little happy hour and decided on Bubba because I wanted to experience their Hot Brown Sandwich, which I have talked about my love for this sandwich. Since having the original in Louisville at The Brown Hotel, if I come across this on a menu, I am ordering it.
I asked sit outside on their patio which is a little tucked away on the side of the restaurant but it lighted well and you can see all the happenings on the street. Very cozy atmosphere. I ordered myself a bourbon on the rocks and decided on the Fried Green Tomatoes and the Petite Pimento Cheese Plate. I was a little hungry. There were so many options on the happy hour menu, it was extremely hard to decide!
The bourbon was yum. The Fried Green Tomatoes were perfectly crispy and savory. The petite salad and the buttermilk cream sauce were the perfect touches to the dish. Not too much and cool and creamy. The Petite Pimento Cheese Plate was the perfect size because all the goodies are very rich. The bacon was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious on top of the buttermilk crackers smeared in the pimento cheese. Bubba's bread-and-butter pickles were the perfectly sweet and crunchy finish to the plate. I probably could of had a bowl of those on their own.
After I finished my appetizers, I did have another bourbon and I almost thought I should just come back another time for the Kentucky Hot Brown, but I just couldn't. So I did it. I ordered it. I may have taken more than 1/2 of it home but I was so glad I did. Bubba's version did not disappoint AT ALL.
This is the closest sammie I have had to the original from The Brown Hotel. It comes out all bubbly and hot in a cast iron skillet and a side of your choice (which, wow, another plethora of amazing comfort food options). If you have never had this unique sandwich, you really should try it. Bubba's Kentucky Hot Brown had moist hickory (perfectly) smoked turkey, crunchy bacon, sliced tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions all smothered in the dreamiest Swiss cheese sauce served open faced on South Union Focaccia. Are you drooling yet? You should be! This sandwich is everything.
Well, I was stuffed. Thankfully I made the right choice in wearing a comfortable dress to accommodate my eatings. I also planned on walking around downtown, so I knew I could burn of some calories and make room for dessert. Downtown Des Moines has so many cool building and art is everywhere. I ventured around the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, stopped in the Central Des Moines Library and then decided it was time for something sweet.
On the outskirts of the park is a little ice cream shop. Black Cat Ice Cream has been on my radar for over a year. It was time.
With the motto of "Old Fashioned Deliciousness" I knew I was going to be a fan. Black Cat Ice Cream in a building with a live music venue and you can miss it if you blink. However, you follow them on Facebook to know the flavors of the week and recognize the distinctive black menu board that sits outside of the window where you order. I highly recommend reviewing the flavors of the week before going to the window because it is hard to pick!
Black Cat's goal is simple: to make the best ice cream on Earth. They use 100% local, fresh grass-fed milk, 100% local and fresh produce, 100% made in old-fashioned bucket ice cream makers in small batches, 100% free of additives and 100% friggin delicious ice cream. This ice cream is sooo indulgent, creamy and sweetened with perfection. The flavors are robust and not lost in the cream. After much deliberation, I decided on a scoop of the Cream Cheese Lemon Cake and a scoop of the Coffee + Caramel + Donut. I could have had a scoop of each on the menu. Next time, happy hour will be at Black Cat.
All I want is more adventures and that includes workouts! The more variety the better.
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
To continue my downtown Des Moines adventure, I had a little meeting this week and we decided to meet at Horizon Line Coffee since neither one of us had been there. I have been off the coffee lately because I was drinking wayyy to much so I was excited to have my first latte in a long time. Horizon Line Coffee is a simple coffee shop, started by two friends who want to serve good coffee and care about others. How great is that? The space is filled with all my favorite colors, white, grey and more white, simple lines and details, and a calm vibe. There are all the coffee options you could want but if you like milk in your coffee, whole cows milk or almond are your options. There are also a variety of teas available and a coffee flight, which I will be ordering on my next visit. This time, I indulged in a richly gorgeous whole cows milk latte served in a beautiful white cup. I think this place secretly was made with me in mind. Dietitian approved!
To end the week, I made a quick trip home and got to spend time with my momma. We had lunch together and chatted on the sun porch about an upcoming trip we are going on this week (WEEEEE). I am looking forward to having an adventure with mom and enjoying some time away from it all. She has been spending a lot of time in her beautiful yard before it goes away and she picked me 3 pretty pink roses to take home! I smiled all the way back to Des Moines and my car smelled lovely. What a great week in Iowa, #hellyeah!
~AE
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