Stopped on the Bread Aisle

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A grocery run is a weekly thing and sometimes it’s more often than a once a week ordeal. And each run could vary between grocery stores. As there are three stores I use, depending  on certain items we like from each store.

So I was doing my thing the other day and turned to go down the bread aisle. Note: This is not the store where I purchase our bread. As we like the organic dense bread loaded with seeds from the other grocery. *See image above* But I was on this aisle, heading down to pick up the dried fruit. That’s when I was stopped by a customer on the bread aisle.

Immediate thoughts running thru my head – I don’t look like I work here with my long floral outfit and flowers in my hair. I’m pushing a buggy with groceries piled in. And a little perplexed to get stopped. But I stopped and listened to the elderly gentleman.

He was rather short in stature with a few white hairs topping his balding head. And the concerned look on his face, told me he needed help. He had a strong European accent, but he was able to convey that he was looking for whole wheat bread rich in fiber.

What I really wanted to do, was to have him follow me over to the other store where I get our bread. I felt nearly as lost as he was and didn’t know where to begin. So I did the next best thing I knew to do. I took it one whole wheat loaf at a time. And soon we had covered every variety of whole wheat bread on the shelves. As I picked up each bag and found the fiber content, I would tell him the serving size and hold up the number of fibers per serving with my fingers.

I could see that his concern had shifted to gratefulness. And he ended up taking two different loaves with the highest fiber content.

Then I asked, “Do you need a high fiber cereal too?” Yes, he replied. We left our buggies on the bread aisle and we marched over to the cereal isle and I presented him with my favorite high fiber cereal. It’s none other than Fiber One with a whopping 14 grams of fiber per serving. He took that too. Then I told him to pick up some high protein yogurt to go with it.

What really made my day was the smile that spread across his face. And he thanked me. And reached out his hand to shake my hand. I think he would have hugged me had it not been for the fact that we were complete strangers.

It’s amazing what the little stops along the way can do. As I feel I received the double blessing.

Blessings – Debbie

Now This Is A Strange List

It’s been said “if only” I didn’t… But truth be told, I’d like to think that there is a time and place for all things.

What about going off the deep end? I could say the same for that. Dive in, but know what you’re getting into first.

Too much is too much…Perhaps it’s good to know when the party is over. But while the party lasts, enjoy it!

And the point? Well in the end of all the hoopla, festivities, Christmas and partying, my body reached rotten bottom.

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Would I do it all over again? Of course I would.

I had the idea of posting all of the sweet things I consumed during the nearly two weeks we were away. Just for kicks.

  • Biscoff – those yummy cookies on Delta – I will not disclose the amount eaten
  • Candy bars from the hotel vending machines – too many to count – but wonderful memories with the hubs as we had our sweet treats while playing the backgammon game we brought for late night tournaments.
  • Pumpkin Muffin – from Panera Bread – Enjoyed a nice date with the hubs and sweet treats to end our meal. The hubs had the pecan braid, his favorite PB treat.
  • Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie – from Panera Bread
  • Sweet treats at the wedding
  • Cold Stone Ice Cream – No way of knowing how many trips – Special memories – Especially after dinner with my bro and sis-in-law one evening.
  • Starbucks – a few times – Especially the night we visited with my bro and sis-in-law – after dinner AND Cold Stone, we visited Starbucks until closing.
  • Homemade Banana Bread – At mom’s house Christmas morning with coffee. The BEST!
  • And the sweet goodies consumed at mom’s during Christmas week.
  • Peanut Butter Fudge, mom makes the Best! It’s the #1 sweet thing I remember most during the holidays. Oh, she makes it with the crunchy peanut butter, my fav!
  • Little mini cherry tarts – From mom’s kitchen
  • German Chocolate Cake – Again this came from mom’s kitchen to my little bro for his Birthday. I consumed two (big) pieces alone.

So who makes a list of the sweet things they consumed? It’s a crazy list if you were to ask me. Anyone reading this probably thinks I’ve gone off the deep end. Allow me to confirm, I did!

And my system feels rotten. But I say all of that to say, these are a few of the sweet things I remember. The things that make a wedding, a wedding and Christmas, Christmas and special visits with family blended with coffee complete.

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And for those things, I’m thankful.

And I’m thankful for new beginnings, new starts and a fresh new me that is beginning to feel back to normal.

And I kinda like that too.

Blessings – Debbie

Christmas Eve

There is a certain element of joy when I know we’re going to be at mom and dad’s on Christmas Eve.

It’s the annual tradition of family, food and visiting that joined together makes for the perfect way to spend the holiday.

But before we could get to my parents house, we had to get on a plane and fly from St Louis *Shiver* – down to Sunny South Florida *Ahhh*

It was and early flight, but worth it! As we arrived at the parents house at around 3pm. YAY! My little brother and his family were right behind us.

We all arrived two hours before mom expected us, which was good all the way around. It took some of the work off of her and we all pitched in to help.

And let me tell you, the food that comes out of her kitchen is amazing!

My nephew jumping to give a helping hand.

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My little brother was on duty texting his baby girl (out doing her calling) who is out of the country. We missed her so much.

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The hubs and nephew on stand-by waiting on their next assignment.

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My pop starting a fire. My wish was to roast a marshmallow that evening, but my tummy was too full by the end of the night. P.S. My family does not burn/catch our marshmallows on fire. No, we slowly turn it until its  reached golden brown status and soft on the inside. Mmmm…I could go for one now!

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My sis-in-law preparing the annual goodie table.

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My niece cooking up some sausage for our homemade egg rolls.

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Her brother, my nephew – supervising…

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And that’s when I went off camera duty and on over to my post aka the kitchen sink. I was trying to keep up with all the dirty dishes flying into my sink…And things had started to pile up.

Then we all enjoyed the fruits of our labor by dining outdoors and visiting into the evening hours by candle light and the nice little fire…Did I mention how yummy everything was? And how good it was to spend time around the table once again with family? It was such a joyous occasion and once again, my mother outdid herself.

Blessings – Debbie

I’m Not a Breakfast Person – Or Am I

It’s Tuesday already.  But the thing I can’t get away from, is that the weekend and Monday went rolling by so fast.

We celebrated the beginning of our weekend (Friday evening) by enjoying a nice little dinner outing with friends.  It was one of those meals where dinner was sandwiched between appetizers and dessert.  It was an evening we walked away filled with a happy heart and tummy.  What a great way to kick off the weekend.

As Monday morning rolled around, hubby said,  “I could use another day with you.”  I wish I could say that he was able to take off the day.  But alas, he had meetings to attend and there was work to do.

Speaking of work, my chore was to do a little food shopping.  So the list was made, the shopping complete and the cupboards were stocked with all things good.

But something creeped into the home and into my tummy for the very first time.  An item that, for whatever reason at that very moment, begged to come home with me.  And at that very moment, I turned into a compulsive shopper.  I just “had” to have it.

Can you guess what fills this Tbsp?

Is nutella not the greatest thing ever?  Go ahead, you can say “I told you so.”

It gets a little tempting tricky, but measuring it is key.  I don’t even want to discuss the trouble I would be in if I didn’t carefully measure it out.

There is (no more, no less than) two tablespoons slathered over this slice of bread.

With a banana on top.  I ate it open-faced, just like this.

I consider this an amazeballs type of meal.

And I can see breakfast in my future!  I’m not a breakfast person, but let me tell ya, this gets my attention.

Happy Nutella Day!

Blessings – Debbie

News Flash

Hello Friends!  It’s been a week and by all indications, it seems I’ve been away.

Indeed, we did step away.

The hubs, our buddy and I went on a little road trip.  We enjoyed a little disco music to pass the time.

I still remember “Hot Stuff” as one of the songs from the day.

I took a shot of the prettiest truck on the road.

This is a sample of our view during three of those miles.  It was a very painful 3 miles as it took an hour and 1/2 to conquer those 3 miles.

Cars began to over heat and drop out one by one.  Our car protected itself by automatically cutting off our AC supply.

A sampling of the views along the way.

Hubby was on business, I was along for the ride and time with the hubs.  I love that he wants me with him when possible.

We did get a chance to meet up with old friends (Gerald and Eileen) we had not connected with in 9 years.  It was a total blast.  I’m pretty bummed that I didn’t take a single pic that evening.

In other news:

  • We turned on the AC (in the house) for the first time (this year) a week ago.  It’s still hard to believe that when we do run it, it only runs a few hours during the mid – late afternoon.
  • I’m officially signed up and ready to take a college course this fall.  I’m pretty excited as it’s not just any course but a photography course.  I even have my parking permit and I look forward to the first day of class.
  • Regarding my class:  Over the weekend, I printed out the map of the campus and located my building and place to park.  I also printed out a map of my building with all the room #’s.  Makes me happy that I’ll know exactly where I’m going the first day of class.  The Bonus = Hubby is going to give me a test run to the campus before I go it alone such that I’m familiar with the area.  He’s the Best!
  • I bought a boat load of my favorite varieties of K cups today.  And no, they were not on sale.  I’m just a little fearful for when September rolls around.  As some of you may already know, Green Mountain will lose its main patent on K Cups.  So what’s the concern?  Well I noticed I couldn’t find my favorite blend at the place where I normally buy it.  I also researched over the weekend and learned that it is on backorder in some stores.  But I put my fears to rest when I discovered it at a shop today.  I piled it in the cart as if I wouldn’t get another shot of it for months.  I feel better about that, but I wonder, did I get enough?  Or did I buy too much?  As I hear the price of this stuff is going to plummet when the patent ordeal is over.  Time will tell.
  • In the last week and 1/2, we visited our new favorite sub restaurant 4 x’s – Might I add, their egg salad is amazing!
  • Last week, during our travels with friends, we visited Cold Stone 3 x’s.
  • In the last week, our dining experiences ranged from Mexican to Seafood and everything in between.
  • We went with a digital phone in the house.  It’s sweet and clear and only 30 bucks a month for unlimited long distance calls.  We like having a home phone, especially when the deal is sweet.  Bye bye AT & T!

So, hello Monday evening!  I’m looking forward to a great week.

Blessings – Debbie

We’re on a Food Roll

Well if it isn’t already Tuesday.  Good Day!

Since this post is all about food, perhaps it’s a good thing I’m/we’re getting some of my/our cravings out-of-the-way such that we can get back on track.  That is a good thing, right?

We (the hubs and I) had some pretty amazing dates over the weekend.

We found the best sub shop in the world.

In fact, our subs were so good, we went back the following day.  And we’re already planning our next trip back to the place this week.  I already know what I’m having.

We also filled our sweet tooth cravings with Cold Stone.

It’s pretty obvious where this post is going.

To be completely honest, we have not embraced the healthy way of living 100% the last few days.  Although we did go to Panera for lunch yesterday and we both had a salad.

We’re trying to balance the good with the bad and the ugly.  I’d say we’re doing a pretty good job.

Another random foodie note.  We have the most yummy sweet treats growing in our backyard.

This is one of the figs I picked and enjoyed.

As of today, I’m looking forward to a dinner date with the hubs and our friend.  It’s going to be a fun time, I already know it.  But I’m not sure what we’ve decided on.  It’s between Mexican and BBQ.  Either way, it should be good!

In fact, we’re going to carry on with dinner dates this week, we already know the time and place where we will be meeting up with friends tomorrow evening.

And the day after that, I “think” we’re going back to the sub place with a friend.  I’m telling you, we are on a food roll all week…

To be continued.

Blessings – Debbie

Food Balance

I’m a huge fan of my veggies, any and all I positively love for the exception of brussel sprouts. I’ve tried them every way possible and they just don’t agree with me. But one of my absolute favorite veggies of the week has been the red bell pepper. I love the sweetness about that vegetable and I think he’s great both raw and cooked.

I found a new love of taking pictures of food. Perhaps it’s because the newness of my camera has not worn off and I really think food is such a beautiful thing.

A beautiful red pepper


True beauty inside out


I tossed him in a pot with a chopped red onion


I love the aroma these create and the flavor from these guys, wow I could go for round two tonight!

I seasoned them up and piled the whole thing on a plate with a nice turkey burger. That was one healthy, huge and satisfying lunch.


Because I’ve been embracing healthy eating (for the most part) I’m celebrating a 40 pound weight loss as of this morning! I hold fast to my outlook that life goes on, parties, holidays and birthdays happen and when they do I don’t hold back one bit for those special times. There’s a time and place for all things good and I find that balance makes for a very happy and healthy me.