New Year Wisdom Wednesday

This week marks another year around the sun for me. While most of you were celebrating New Year's in January, I always celebrate MY new year on my day of birth. For many of you, the start of 2017 may seem like a lifetime ago. Did you make resolutions? I have never been quiet on my views of resolutions, they are complete bullshit. What I believe in is setting intentions and to truly intend to make them happen. This year is the most intentions I have ever set. I am going to work on eliminating all the excess in my life that does not bring me joy or increase time, my most precious currency. I am going work on embracing my life:  the good, the bad and the ugly, all of it and all of me. I am going to elevate others by compliments, hand written notes, praise and acts of gratitude. I am going to give myself the gift of experiences through doing things out of my comfort zone, travel and other adventurous activities I have wanted to do outside of my everyday life. I am going to live this trip around the sun with complete intention. 

Ditch the resolutions (which I am guessing are long forgotten) and set your intentions, there is always time. 

Weekly Conversation

My conversation today is with Courtney Slater, RD, LD, CDE

Courtney has a strong personal connection to nutrition because of her own personal experiences and struggles with diabetes and celiac disease.  She initially started her career path in education and teaching because she loved working with kids and along the way she realized she wanted to educate others as a registered dietitian. She is now meshing her 2 passions, kids and diabetes education. Her dietitian journey so far is very inspiring and she openly shares her insight on living and help others, especially children, with these diseases.

Click here to enjoy my conversation with Courtney

Week in Review

This past week was a week of work and more work, ending with a little visit from my closest and dearest friend Carlena. Whenever we are together, it is full of laughs and more laughs. I think we are the only ones that find us funny, which I love. We spent the afternoon catching up on life, having a few cocktails and then spent the evening dancing away. Always an adventure with this lovely. 

I have been grateful to have the last few weekend filled with friends and family to celebrate my New Years since I will be working on my 4th intention with having an experience on my day of birth. There is no other gift more important than time with friends and family and the joy of every experience with them. 

Workout Playlist of the Week

Alright 41, bring it on! 

 Listen to Happy New Year to Me! Playlist of the Week by Anne Elizabeth on Apple Music

What I Love Right Now

I adore breakfast right now. If I could eat breakfast for all meals of the day, I probably would. Which is funny because when I was younger, I really wanted nothing to do with breakfast unless it was pop tarts or cereal. As I got older, my dad would make breakfast/brunch on Sunday mornings and I think I have kind of caught the bug. 

I had this vision the other night of this dish which involved prosciutto, hash browns, eggs, chives and a homemade white and creamy béchamel sauce. For the love of breakfast, I gave it a whirl!

I browned up 2 cups of Simply Potatoes hash browns in 2 tablespoons of butter. While those were getting toasty and happy, I whisked the following together:  7 eggs, 1/2 cup Fairlife skim milk, 6 slices of La Quercia prosciutto, diced and 3 tablespoons of diced fresh chives with a pinch of salt and pepper. I heated my non-stick skillet to medium and placed the eggs mixture in, scrambling until done. For my béchamel sauce, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and once melted, I stirred in 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour. After about 2 minutes, the mixture starts to bubble (but watch it so it doesn't brown). I then added 1 1/4 cups of Fairlife skim milk and I continuously stirred until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Once it begins to boil, drop the heat to a simmer and add 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper and salt to taste. I then added 1/2 cup of 2% Sargento Shredded Sharp Cheddar and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Make sure to give it a taste and add salt if needed. By then, the potatoes are perfect, the eggs are scrambled and I was ready to plate. 

Place the 1/4 of the hash browns on the plate, top with a 1/4 of the egg scramble. Top the egg mixture with 1/4 cup of the béchamel sauce and sprinkle a few more chives on top. We had sides of fresh berries, cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado. Serves 4 people, heartily! 

Here's to another trip around the sun, full of complete joy, much love, endless adventure and time with who and what means the most to me in this world (and a slice of mom's homemade chocolate cake). 

Happy New Year!

~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

Anyone else's pants tight right now?  Tis the season to be happy! Just be happy, however you define it. Who cares if your pants are tight. What matters are the meaningful relationships and simple joys you have in your life. Time is precious and if you are pre-occupied with shopping, eating and a bunch of other exhausting happenings, you are missing out on priceless moments with people. Put your credit card away, stop shopping online and put your phone away. Grab a cookie, unbutton your pants and engage in a conversation with the people who mean the most to you as 2016 is slipping away. 

Weekly Conversation

I did this crazy-ass thing this year and started doing a podcast. It has been one of the most exhilarating things I have done. I have enjoyed every conversation I have had with the people I love the most, the people who love food and care about health:  Registered Dietitians. As I am getting ready for 2017 and more adventures, I wanted to share the one podcast that started it all. Number one, numero uno, my first. It is even more crazy that since I had my conversation with Jena, she is now a new mother!  Time flies people, don't waste a single moment. 

Please click here to head over to iTunes and listen to my conversation with Registered Dietitian,

NEW MOM, and my friend, Jena Hunt.

Week in Review

I have some amazing friendships and this week was a great celebration of them. My friend Erin married the love of her life, James. It was a little dicey at the beginning of the day with a snowfall, but love prevailed and it all cleared up by the afternoon. They had a beautiful wedding and I know they will have a joyful life together. This picture says it all. 

The tribe also got together and had a cookie and cocktail club. Thankfully, we had a responsible member of the party to maintain motivation for the task at hand. Stacey, Cyril and Hollis manned the kitchen and created some delicious eats. 

Our theme for the party was to make a holiday cookie that reminded you of your childhood or something you made with your mom. My mom made a ton of cookie delights when we were kids. I know we tried to help, but I am guessing we were much of a help by licking bowls and spoons and eating cookie dough. I do remember my Dad loving all the treats my mom made and sitting at the table during the process sneaking bites. I made these peanut butter blossoms with Cyril helping me roll the dough and then dip them in sugar. This was my sissy Kate's favorite holiday cookie, so it only seemed appropriate to make them. 

Jason was in charge of making the cocktail, which seemed appropriate to have cranberry juice, with a splash of vodka for the cookie party.

Justin made some delicious peanut butter cookies with chunks of peanuts in it. Kevin got after it and made sugar cookies (with sprinkles!!!) and black raspberry jam cookies. He would not give me the recipe for the jam cookies, but they were delicious and sooo pretty. 

Workout Playlist of the Week

Listen to Anne Elizabeth's "Pants are Tight" Workout Playlist of the Week on Apple Music.

What I Love Right Now

I got a pretty kick ass package in the mail this past week.  Thank you Sierra!

About 6 months ago, I was out shopping with my mom and we saw a cool display of beautiful soaps at a local retailer. What was even better was the luxurious smells coming from the display. I was drawn to the lavender and the lemon poppy seed bars coming in all shapes and sizes. There were actual poppy seed in the soap. As we did more investigating, the company Pacha Soaps did not only have an impeccable message and mission, but were locally made in Hastings, Nebraska. (Side note:  for those of you who do not know, my college roommate, well-known organic chemistry guru and potato and vinegar loving, Katie Hervert Thomas is from Hastings). I love supporting locally created products and businesses and I love great smelling and beautiful personal products. 

"We are dirty hippies with a clean purpose."

"Pacha Soap is on a mission to provide the highest quality products, to promote health and well-being around the world and to implement sustainable solutions to the poverty cycle....all with veracity and love!"

Pacha Soap also gives back, number three of why I love their products. They have their "Raise the Bar" campaign to help someone in need. For every bar purchased, a bar is donated to a variety of people, including children in developing countries. This campaign also supports developing careers in soap making  for men and woman in developing nations. 

These colorful, fragrant and handcrafted soaps come in a variety of versions:  handouts loaves, bars and moons with scents like Ruby Red Grapefruit, Frankincense Myrrh and Pocket Full of Cozy; logs that are moisturizing and exfoliating with flavors of avocado, carrots, rosemary and eucalyptus; and soaks and scrubs for the bath. 

Their new product is this bar soap variety pack. You get a great selection of their scents in a smaller bar than the normal size. The bars last a long time and fill your shower or bath with scents reminiscent of essential oils. My mom loved the variety pack so much, she places a different bar underneath her pillow each week just to have the lasting and relaxing scents fill her slumber. 

I got these as stocking stuffers for all members of my tribe this year, head on over to Pacha Soap to explore their great products, learn more about their great mission and find a store closest to you to purchase a unique, made in the Heartland gift for those who make your heart beat. 

~AE