Monday Feels

Hello, boo-berry crunches!

If you’re anything like me, you’re most likely staring at the end of this day reminiscing the weekend. Oh what a great weekend it was! Last week I had the chance to “sit” down with a distant girlfriend and chat life happenings. During the conversation, she said “you should put that on the blog!” At first I chuckled but as the week progressed, I really thought about it.

For starters, life is really crazy. I have my hand in a lot of “projects” which has ultimately hindered my creative juices (or time). I know I’ve shared this before but WJ truly was created with the idea of an anonymous person sharing kitchen experiments and thoughts. Of course, that grew because well.. who keeps up with people they don’t know exist?

At the time, there was nothing I loathed more than getting up for work. I was miserable, I was so mean to my family, and I constantly felt “stuck”. In late 2015 I began “soul searching” but I didn’t really feel as if I had a purpose until early 2017. During that stretch, I found and began incorporating more “paleo” built dishes into our rotation, finished my first Whole30, married my best friend, made a home, and pushed “publish” on Wholesome Joy.

Friends, I began WJ after meeting Cassy Joy Garcia of Fed and Fit. I attended her book signing with my Mom and meeting her was the most encouraging moment of my entire “soul searching” exploration. If you’re unfamiliar with her, I highly suggest you listen, read, and follow all of her content to the point in which you feel like you’re best friends. After meeting her back then, I just kept thinking “she is so genuinely happy. I need to do whatever she is doing because I want to be that vibrant.”

So, I went home, thought about her reach for days, woke up one Saturday morning and said, “Wholesome Joy. That’s it! I’m going to start a blog and I’m going to share everything that has helped me!” Then I thought, “It’ll be wholesome because our kitchen has become so whole and it’ll be joyous because cooking and creating makes me so happy.” Food is a sign of family and warmth for us. It made so much sense!

Pretty much the pure definition of “imitation is the greatest form of flattery” but you know, it worked. I began pulling out all of those “tweaked” recipes I had made over and over again and through trial and error, I put them here. I created an Instagram, “met” online friends and mentors, and ultimately found my “thing”. While this is truly just a hobby of mine, I feel that it’s become a part of my purpose and path. I now know that I was created to be of service. Service to a greater good, a friendly soul in need, and even to company x with their own goals and organization. Realizing my desire to serve has placed that “happy” back in my life. Now, instead of “searching” for that feeling, it’s naturally present and displayed in everything I do! At least, I feel like it is..

So, it may not be over night and you may totally trip over your own feet time and time again BUT, go find YOUR happy! There’s your Monday motivation!

And– who doesn’t like photos! I am beyond excited to update these with something awesome which I will be sharing all about soon!

Now, in other news!

I spent the last week trying to figure out why this post was NOT showing on the blog other than in the scrolling thing (real blog talk there). Well, guess what? I hide it. It was the start to a “meatball madness” series so be on the lookout! If you haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? These Chorizo Meatballs are insanely delicious.

Over the weekend I giggled the night away with my second family and got to sip on the most incredible apple cider cocktail and flip through the Wheat Belly cookbook. I snagged a few recipes that I look forward to making soon! I’ll keep you posted because this cookbook may be a keeper! Have you read the book, Wheat Belly by William Davis? It’s a good one.

We are approaching the grilling season and we have our first crawfish boil next weekend! Therefore, I got this recipe out and made it over the weekend. I absolutely love broccoli salad and it’s become my “go to” for outdoor gatherings!

My omelette making has reached a new level. For the last 7 days, I’ve started my day with an omelette weighing in at around 58 grams of protein which has kept me not only full until dinner, but totally in my grocery budget game. Eggs are so affordable and my Kroger discount game is on point. This brunch beast is made with:

4 large eggs
Applegate’s turkey breast
Applegate’s pepperoni
Kite Hill’s original cream cheese style spread
Mushrooms
Onions
Fresh spinach
2 tablespoons of fresh grated cheese.

I finally broke down and made a line item in the budget to spruce up my work apparel. I haven’t allowed myself to purchase anything substantial since last April so this was a big decision. So far, I have purchased these items and let me tell you, I am SO HAPPY. I love each item so much!

Black Slacks. These are amazing! I am extremely picky when it comes to slacks because they’re my preferred clothing choice. I have worn the Old Navy Pixie style for the last two years but they fade quickly and I was constantly needing to replace them. I decided to give these a try and they’re amazing! They are somewhat high-rise and run rather large, in my opinion. I am a solid size 10 but opted for a 12 based on a few reviews. I will definitely be ordering my size in the future as the 12 is just too large and sags on me.

Calvin Klein Black Heals. I love these so much that I am ordering the brown this Friday followed by a second pair of black pumps next month. When I worked in the banking centers, I wore heals daily. Since moving to “corporate” where no clients are seen, I am more casual in my flats. I was very nervous to purchase these in fear that the height would kill me. They are the most comfortable shoe I own.

Black Cardigan. Always a target girl for my sweaters but this time I trusted Amazon and look forward to adding a few other colors. This cardigan is so professional. It is longer in the back and is primarily made of Rayon and Polyester. It’s thin enough for the Texas heat but thick enough for the office AC.

So there it is– Monday feels! It’s not completely irrelevant as I did share my new omelette making details. Have the best week!