Wisdom Wednesday

Diet. Not a word I really enjoy and apparently neither did Julia. My kind of woman!  As a registered dietitian, I love working with people who choose to live a healthy lifestyle and remove the word "diet from their vocabulary. Food is here to nourish our lives so we can think of great ideas, keep our heart beating, ride a bike or play piano. It should never be something we punish ourselves with. It should be something we enjoy and fuels our lives. For many of you, you may have set resolutions involving food and I would recommend tossing those resolutions in the trash. If you told yourself, "I cannot have" or "I will not eat" or "I will not eat out" you are attaching negativity to food. This will only make you desire these foods even more. It is time to build a healthy relationship with food and allow yourself to enjoy all of it. All foods fit, all year round. 

Weekly Conversation

By listening to my conversations, I hope you know by now how much I enjoy talking with registered dietitians and having them share their story. There is truly something special when I can share the story of a registered dietitian who had a huge impact in my life by being my preceptor, co-worker and now one of my most dearest friends. Brenda chose to become a registered dietitian a little later in life and has worked in a variety of settings with her current position as  a registered dietitian in Iowa who works for a special population of individuals at Glenwood Resource Center where her clients have significantly unique nutrition needs. This woman has taught me much and inspires me everyday.

Click here to enjoy my conversation with Brenda

Week(s) in Review

I am playing a little catch up from all my holiday adventures and I have to share pictures from one of the mostly lovely New Years Eve's I have had a in long time. It was such a great evening with the closest members of my tribe. My cousin Christine, her husband Denis and their pup Karlie hosted a mouthwatering dinner for my Mom, Gramma and I.  At first Gramma was going to stay in, but we talked in her to joining us for the evening. She shared stories about my great-grandpa's and grandma's and even spoke a little German for us! We all managed to kind of miss midnight for our toast but we made up for it.

 These are the moments, with family, that are so precious. All the cocktails and food were made with love and when enjoyed with the people you love, well that is the best combination. 

Gramma Alice telling her infamous stories

My favorite!  Rainer Cherries by candlelight.

Manhattan anyone?

Beautifully dressed table with white and cream lovelies everywhere! 

Denis prepping the Gruyere goodness

Homemade French Onion Soup recipe courtesy of Cooks Country 

My favorite view of the evening

Filet, Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus, and mashed potatoes!

Workout Playlist of the Week
This weeks playlist was inspired by the start of 2017 and some of my favorite oldies but goodies. The last one is my favorite to stretch to.

Listen to Anne Elizabeth's Inspired by a Snazzy Dinner Playlist of the Week on Apple Music

What I Love Right Now
Along all my adventures, I really get some great opportunities to try and experience new things.  My friend Andrew surprised me with a dozen of eggs. That may sound a little weird, but him and his wife Melissa, have couple of chickens they have raised and have at their home. I cannot wait to taste them. What a great gift! Talk about food made with love, truthfully from start to finish. There is nothing like  a farm fresh egg, find a farmer close to you and experience the difference for yourself.

Another awesome new thing I get to try is the Joule by Chef Steps. I have only gotten the box open and I am looking forward to sharing my adventure with this exciting cooking tool in the future. I have a lot a research to do to educate myself on working with it.  Let the cooking adventure begin!

~AE

Wisdom Wednesday

It is week 2 into 2017, how is it going so far for everyone?  In anticipation of my new year starting on February 17th, I am absorbing all the information and inspiration from all of you and gearing up for my own amazing start to another trip around the sun.  I challenge all of you to please not set resolutions (because we all know how they are usually complete BS and quickly fade) but to view your "New Year" with "Intention and Purpose."  What are your intentions and purpose this year?  What words describe what you want to do with this precious life you have on earth?  I am asking myself these same questions and deciding how this trip will be different than the past. Dig deep and choose 2 or 3 action words to give your 2017 the most meaning and add the most value to your life. Breath them in, be them and achieve them everyday as best as you can. 

Weekly Conversation

Jen is known nationwide as the Down to Earth Dietitian and I couldn’t agree more. I have been lucky to be a Nutrition Communicator for Midwest Dairy with Jen for the past 4 years and getting to know how her personal life has really influenced her professional life as a registered dietitian. She has come full circle with her passion of gardening, nutrition and nourishing the lives of others, especially her family and moms. As long as I have know Jen, I had no idea how deeply rooted gardening was in her life. It is wonderful how she is sharing her love for growth from the ground with growth at home around the dinner table. She has been a clinical dietitian at Mayo, a retail dietitian, and a media expert. She is now in her current role,  impacting the lives of children's health with school food service, becoming a newly published author with the writing of her first book The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden and a list of other exciting adventures. I am excited to share her story, thus far.

Please enjoy my conversation with Jen.

Week(s) in Review

Christmas Eve day started off with homemade banana muffies (made with love), freshly brewed coffee, beautiful flowers and peace and quiet. It was nice to start the day solo, have a great workout and prepare for a weekend at home with my family.

One of my joys was to get a picture of this little booger in his new abominable snow man slippers.

My mom and I lit our Christmas tree together this year, with a few tears and a lot of hugs. This was the tree my sister had in her room every Christmas. When I would drive up the street for a visit, I could see it all lit it from her bedroom window. My sister LOVED Christmas. So of course, she had her own special tree in her room. When she was in the hospital, my mom brought it down to her with some of her favorite ornaments and the star we have had on the top of our tree since I was little. It was great to have it on and present during the holiday season and it brought Kate's spirit and love for the holiday to the weekend.

Christmas morning tradition is mom's homemade Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Raisin rolls. YUMMMMMMMMYYYY!  I was so happy she mad them and kept a tradition going even with all of the changes we have had in the past couple of years. This year, I felt pretty special because she put golden raisins in the rolls and they are my favorite. This might have been the best roll I have ever had.

Why?  Because as I was on the couch under my blanket, all cozy, she warmed one up and placed real butter strategically on top. The butter melted perfectly into every little part of the soft, cinnamon bread. Paired with a warm cup of coffee and it was the best start to Christmas Day.

In the past, we have always had pretty amazing Christmas meals and this year was no different. My mom made the most amazing burger on homemade bread. Gramma joined in the burger fun. This is why I love Christmas at home. We do not have an set schedule or agenda, no major stress from a planned extravagant meal. Just simply homemade goodness and just being together.

That's what the holidays are all about.

Workout Playlist of the Week

Slowly but surely I am getting back into the routine of my week. This includes waking up and getting my fitness on. So hard!

The struggle is real. But I got this, you got this!  I will report on how well I am "getting it" next week.

Listen to Anne Elizabeth's Workout Playlist of the Week on Apple Music. 

 What I Love Right Now

Soooooo, it has been a little bit cold out. Just a little. Over the holiday, my cousin Christine made this adorable basket with all the makings for this delicious drinks in honor of my sister.

Not only did it make me smile and think of us two playing on the beach in Hawaii when we were younger, but it make me think about somewhere tropical!

Take me away!!!! Please!!!!

I had to share the recipe with you all for the Honolulu Lulu. It is totally worth the splurge for the umbrellas to whisk you away to a tropical island full of ocean, sand and sun. 

Each sip I took made me forget I was in blustery cold Iowa. 

Worth every sip and every sweet memory of my sister and Hawaii that I have. 

One last thing I love I want to leave you with. I started out this weeks Wisdom Wednesday with 2 words, intention and purpose. If you are on board with living 2017 this way, I really want you to give this documentary a watch. You can view the trailer here and the entire film is on Netflix. 

The greatest message from this film is to ask yourself:  Does it add value to your life?  I hope you give it a watch and let me know what you think!

Happy 2017 to you all! Let's make this the best damn year yet!

~AE

Wisdom Wednesday

As 2016 is coming to a close, how have you filled your pages?  

Are your pages full of ideas, memories, hard work, things you never want to do again, things you cannot wait to do again?  Is it a story you are proud of?  Is it a story that has inspired growth?  There are a few pages left, to complete your story, in the place you want it to end and begin at the same time. I have a few pages left because I will celebrate my New Year on my day of birth.  Upon review, I am pretty damn proud of Volume 2016. I always look forward to the next clean white page I get to fill with purpose. It is never perfect, but it is all mine.  I am so lucky to have had all these moments so far and I hope I am just as lucky to start working on Volume 2017. 

Cheers to the pages that have been and to the pages that are to come. 

~AE