Vegan? Gluten-Free? Delicious!?!

Yes, yes, and YES!!

Who am I?

Seriously?

Wait...Don't leave! 

It's still me, Lori...no really!

It's me! See!!

I'm just trying something a little different today.

No fluffy, wheat-filled flour...

No pats of butter, melted into a creamy substance and poured into batter.

Today it's about making something just as delicious (maybe more),

and something that EVERYONE can eat and enjoy!

In fact, I made these as part of my Valentine's Day Bake Sale

and they sold out before school even started that day! 

People just couldn't get enough of these tasty,

slightly sweet, protein-filled bites.

Heck!  They're a little like what Cavemen must have eaten!

Well, if Cavemen had Peas and Thank You, Bob's Red Mill and chocolate. :0)

It's a winning combination.

A much better combination then what I normally think of when I think of Cavemen...

This is generally what pops into my mind.

Yes, it's entertaining, but these are cookies.

Caveman Cookies!

Plus, you can still sing this song with your mouth full of cookie!

hehe...I tried...it works, just watch out for the chocolate chips!

For the recipe, please head over to Peas and Thank You

or here for the link straight to the recipe. 

But if you do, make sure you go to the home page and

check out whatever delicious, healthy recipe

that Sarah Matheny is cooking up!

Now, since first making these a-ma-zing cookies, I have made several batches. 

They are really just that delicious. 

I think about them when I run out, wishing that there was just one more cookie. 

The thing about these cookies, is that I really don't feel guilty

eating them like I do (sometimes) when I eat another cookies. 

Somehow, these cookies seem less threatening then others.

I like that. 

Now what are you doing?!

Go and make these cookies!

And no, you do not have to share with anyone.

I won't tell if you don't.

hehe...

Seriously...GO!

Crafting Joy

It's an everyday decision.

I wake up and have to decide...

To be joyful or not.

Some days the decision is simple...

life is moving smoothly and I'm not exhausted.

then there are those other days...those days when negativity abounds

and seems to hold me hostage.

I fight against that.

Each and every day.

The world is a complicated and many times cruel place.

Without joy, what would keep us moving forward

and striving to change the world.

I choose joy.

And when I forget, well,

I made myself a little reminder to bring focus.

 

So with an idea in mind, and a craft selected,

I headed out for Craft Night.

Southern Belle Soul, Mountain Bride Heart

With letters place, friends and a drink by my side, I dive into the project. 

But there are so many colors to choose from! What to do, what to do...

 Allison had a jump start on the project, so I knew that I needed to make some decisions.
Circles...I'm good at makes circles, so that's exactly what I did...a base of neutral circles.

Swish. Swish.

 While I watch my paint dry, literally, I chat the evening away and

watch my dear friends create beauty.

How cool is this?

Melissa used pages from a Shel Silverstein as a backdrop for her painting.

 

Genius idea.

Kelly used fabric...another genius idea.



Mindy created a beautiful ombre of blue.

Me...I chose circles. Circles. Geesh.

It will work.

Drying, drying, drying...

 Nervously I remove the vinyl letters and step back...

Not bad...not bad at all. 

With a little outlining in black to help the letters stand out...

...and a couple layers of sealer...

Now, it seems worthy for hanging up around the house.

The sun is shining, literally, the birds are singing,

and someone else has made dinner.

Perfection!

Yes, I do like to imagine myself in a Disney movie.

When joy fills my heart, mind and body,

I think of myself as Snow White.

You know, where she is singing
and all of the woodland critters come help her...

that scene epitomizes joy to me.

And so does this...friends.

Beautiful, loving friends that I can be myself with

and share an evening of joy.

Lessons from Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey.  Even Kristen Bell's dogs are addicted to this drama.

It's a show that could be boring, but it's not...it's intriguing.

The characters are unique, manipulative and mean...really mean. And they say things that you generally only think, right in the persons' face.  In their FACE!

Who does that?!?

They do.

Downton Abbey

Now you may think, "Whoa, what could anyone possibly learn from a show like this?"
Well, let me tell you.
Most things in life have lessons...this show has 5.




Top 5 Lessons from Downton Abbey

#5 Great meals take great preparation:
This is probably why I rarely have good meals that I create in my own home.  I have AMAZING meals in friends' homes and in local restaurants, but I don't enjoy cooking much so I don't...often.  I'm lucky if I make one dish each week!  Each night I just open up the refrigerator and scoot stuff around until I see a little inspiration.  Or I just make Mac 'n Cheese...sad, but true.

At Downton Abbey, meals are events and presentation is important.  But, the truth is that the staff works all day preparing these meals...I don't have a staff.  I guess that's for catering company's and very special occasions.  The idea is nice though.

#4 Breakfast in Bed:
The married women receive breakfast in bed, everyday...each day...which I think is a little strange, but I like the pampering. I never have breakfast in bed, unless you consider falling asleep with crackers and eating one in the morning, breakfast in bed. hehe...not that I've ever done that....(cough). But seriously, that sounds really nice. So don't wait unless a special day, instead surprise that person on a random day and make them feel extra special.


#3 Dress up for dinner: 

Now, really...in my world it seems that I dress down for dinner and you're lucky if I'm not in my pj's by dinner time.  But I like the idea of getting dressed up for fancy meals and making it feel like a special occasion.  Though, not so pretentious and stuffy...I'm sure that my fancy meal would have quite a bit of laughter too.



#2 Stand up for your beliefs:
This show is set in a time when women could not vote and people had rigid expectations for others. Stand up for what you believe in, even if you're the only one. 


#1 Always, always, put your children first:

Ethel has to make some difficult decisions regarding her son.  I don't have kids, but I can't even imagine having to do something that breaks your heart, but you know will give your child what they need.  Can't. Imagine. 
It's our job to care for them...prioritize correctly.

See...it's so much more than just a show,

it's a lesson in life.

Cheers!

Lori

Lessons from my dog

Everyday I see the same lady walking her dog, a sweet yellow lab.
She walks her dog talking on her cell phone...loudly.
The whole neighborhood can hear her personal conversations!
Each day, I think, "Man, that's so weird...I can't believe she would talk so loudly! 
Doesn't she realize how weird that is?!"

Then, I listened to myself walking around the neighborhood...
It would be better if I actually was talking on a cell phone, because then it would make sense that I was talking so loudly.  Nope, I'm not as normal as the lady walking her yellow lab.

I just have full-length conversations with my dog.

No, really.  I do.

I talk to Murphy as if he can respond and

interject ideas into the conversation.

This is my normal.

Strange...yeah, I guess so.

Does anyone ever say anything to me about it?

Nah...they see me everyday.

I'm that girl with the border collie that talks to him like a person.

Somehow, it seems totally normal to me.

And I'm not going to change a thing.

Lessons I learned from my dog:

8. Spend time out in nature everyday.
This can be a tough one...like today when we were walking against the wind and the rain was pelting straight in our faces.

7. Routines are helpful.
Murphy has very specific tasks to complete everyday.  Sniff, check his messages, sniff, go to his creek, look for critters, and the list goes on and on. 

6. SPLASH!
Splash in puddles.  Splash in the creek.  Splash in a kiddy pool.  Splash often and with great zest.  Not only will you get some exercise, but you will also have a lot of fun.

5. Discernment
Not everyone should be trusted. Murphy knows this and looks at strangers with a suspicious eye. I tend to be more trusting, but have learned that people need to earn that trust. It takes awhile to earn that trust...cautiously weighing whether or not someone is trustworthy. Murphy knows this well, but once he trusts someone, he trusts them wholeheartedly. I like that.

4. Small is better
Thirteen is Murphy's magic number...he has thirteen humans that he trusts.  I have a few more people that I trust, but I've been around a bit longer.  :0)  I agree with him though.  I would much rather have a small group of trusted people than a whole bunch of people that are just superficial friends. 





3. Challenge yourself.
Each day Murphy climbs a tree.  The first time he tried it, he was really nervous and only made it a step up onto the trunk.  Then, each day he would try again.  Sometimes he would fall, but he was determined to continue.  I would encourage him and soon he went higher and higher and higher.  Now, he can get 5 1/2 feet off the ground...and is determined to go even higher.











2. Use your imagination.
Sometimes we see a squirrel or five.  Sometimes we see birds.  We have never, ever seen a mole.  That doesn't stop Murphy from looking for moles every single day.  He believes that someday he will find one and enthusiastically hunts for them everyday.  Your imagination is vital and can be essential to achieving your dreams....even if your dream is just a mole.

1. Smile.
As we head home after playing in the park, Murphy always has a big smile plastered on his face.  Not only has he had a fantastic time, completed all of his tasks, but he is happy to have his human home.  Some people might think that dogs can't smile, but they just haven't met my dog.  He smiles all of the time...I like to think that he learned it from me, but he is a natural smiler.