Life Update 001

I was going to write ‘it’s been awhile’ since posting a life update, but this is actually quite a new concept for the blog. So, I guess I should really say ‘it’s been never’ since I posted a life update 😂 I’m not exactly sure why all of a sudden I have the urge to share a general life update other than it’s been quite a crazy year and a half living through the ups and downs in a world navigating COVID-19. Nonetheless, here are some updates from our crew.

We bought a house!

Yep, you read that right… we bought a house!… in the middle of a pandemic. Are we crazy?! Maybe 😉 But as they say, everything just fell into place. We feel very blessed and grateful to have been able to purchase our first home in an incredible neighborhood AND with incredible neighbors. Whenever I return to the house from running errands or from a trip, I immediately feel calm and so, so at peace. I think that’s how you know you’ve made your house feel like a home. 

So, buying a house naturally comes with all of the motivation and excitement for DIY projects. We’ve already tackled some (I’ve shared a few on my Instagram, with more to come!), but I feel like my head is exploding with new ideas every day. I want to install beadboard in our hallway, picture frame trim in our main bedroom, wallpaper in the guest room… and maybe our main bedroom, too… mixed metals and candleholders as a gallery wall above our bathtub, a more permanent desk and shelving system for Tim, maybe a garage gym; the list goes on and on. It is both FUN and overwhelming at the same time.

Tim got a job!

Most of you know my husband, Tim, was laid off by Airbnb at the beginning of the pandemic. He applied and interviewed for a year and nothing was coming through. He didn’t want to take a step back in his career -- and we were lucky enough to be able to get by on my income -- so he took his time finding the right fit. 

Well, when it rains, it pours (in a good way). After nothing sticking for almost a year, he was suddenly interviewing at 3 different companies at one time and was ultimately recruited for a startup where he landed a great job and was promoted within 3 months! It was a year filled with persistence, patience, and faith, and we feel blessed that everything worked out and he’s thriving in his new role.

I started a new position!

I’m still loving where I work, and I actually transferred roles in the last few months. It’s still within marketing, so not a complete 180, but my new position is more closely tied to sales vs. awareness and engagement. It’s been really interesting and challenging so far, and I can’t wait to see where this new role takes me! It’s always awesome to experience a different side of the business.

I’m going back to school!

They say you should announce something publicly to keep yourself accountable. Well, here I am, being vulnerable and announcing my return to school. Due to a mix of working at a consumer packaged goods company and dedicating lots of time each week for years to nutritious meal prepping, I’ve gotten more and more interested and invested in the fact that food is medicine and have decided to pursue my master’s degree in nutrition (eeek, I couldn’t be more excited!). I have some pre-requisites I need to wrap up before I can apply to the program, which I’ll be tackling over the next several months. I’ll still work full time and school will be part-time for now. The actual master’s program itself is full-time online (no specific times for classes, just weekly deadlines), so that feels like an excellent fit with my full-time work schedule, but I know life will get a lot more crazy. 

This bachelor of arts grad is diving head first into her first science pre-requisite in a few weeks: human anatomy and physiology, so good vibes are welcome 🙏 I think I’m going to find this all fascinating, but the good news is if it’s not what I thought it would be, there’s always another door to open and another path to explore.

The blog is now Wholly Rooted!

Staying with the same theme of ‘food is medicine’ -- I really do believe this and I’m excited to dive more into holistic nutrition and learning about the human body through my courses over the next few months and years. As I’ve grown, this blog has grown with me, so I decided to re-brand (again 😉) to Wholly Rooted, a space dedicated to health, home, and happiness. Look forward to more food and nutrition topics, as well as my usual DIYs, baking, home decor, and life updates. I feel it in my bones that this is the right move and path for me, so I’m happy to have you alongside me in this journey!

Well, that’s it for now… a lot of movin’ and shakin’ over here in our world. I hope you are thriving wherever you are in life right now and I know the best is yet to come for all of us.

Cheers!

Recipe // Spicy Italian Sausage Soup

Who doesn't love crockpot meals? I know we do! With winter in Portland comes rain almost every day, so we've been indulging in one of our favorite soups quite frequently lately. But let's be real - soup is delicious anytime of year, right?

This recipe is so simple and really only requires about 20 mins of real effort and prep, then 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 

Before I dive into the details, let me say that I am definitely not claiming this to be our own recipe - just one that was shared with us and needs to be shared with you all because of how amazing it is! Unfortunately,  I'm not sure where it originated, but I do know it says the recipe was created by a Kalyn. So thank you, Kalyn! ;)

The ingredients you'll need are:

• 2 tsp. olive oil

• 1 pkg. (19.5 oz.) raw turkey Italian Sausage (we like hot but it's good with mild, too)

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1 T minced garlic

• 2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend

• 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well and drained

• 2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

• 3/4 cup water

• 1/2 cup basil pesto

• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the sausage over medium-high heat

2. When the sausage is cooked, add the onions to one side of the pan until they start to soften

3. Add the minced garlic and Italian herb seasoning and cook one minute more

4. Once steps 1-3 are complete, transfer the mix into the crockpot

5. Drain the garbanzo beans into a colander and rinse well until foam disappears

6. Add the beans to the slow cooker with the diced tomatoes and water

7. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low

8. About 20 minutes until it's done, add the pesto to the crockpot (or if you're like us and a little impatient because it smells so good, add the pesto, mix it in, and serve right away)

9. Season to taste and add Parmesan if desired

One of the best parts is how amazing the house smells while it's cooking. We like to pair the soup with fresh french bread and some delicious red wine. Let me know what you think and happy cooking!

Recipe // 3 Health-Filled Smoothies

If you follow me over on Instagram, you know one of the gifts Tim and I were most excited about this past Christmas is our Vitamix. We've been testing out various smoothie recipes, some we like, some we still need to refine ;) So today I wanted to share 3 of my favorite recipes so far. There's nothing better than a good smoothie, don't you think?

1. Leafy Greens Smoothie

This is one of my all-time favorite combos because of its simplicity and perfect balance between sweet and salty. Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup kale and chard mix
• 3-4 ice cubes

2. Berry Green Smoothie

This one might not look like much, but the combo between leafy greens and berries makes it taste absolutely amazing! Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• Handful of raspberries (I didn't measure this, but 1/2 cup is probably about right)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3-4 ice cubes

3. Mighty Mango Smoothie

This mango smoothie is amazing! It ended up with a thicker texture, so it might also be good served like an acai bowl with berries and coconut flakes on top (as I'm writing this, I'm planning my next trip to the grocery store to buy coconut flakes - yum!). Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons Chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2-2/3 chopped mango

When I was making these yesterday, beautiful, fluffy snow was falling almost all day. It made me feel a little silly making ice-cold smoothies, but they were certainly a delicious treat, even in the below-freezing temps ;)

What are some of your favorite smoothie recipes? Share them in the comments below!