I’ve been loving a lot of things lately, so I thought it was about time for a quick favorites post. In the middle of winter, I find it hard to be inspired, but there are a few things that have been brightening my spirits lately.

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What I’m Eating…

• Cacao nibs! Lots and lots of them. I throw them in smoothies, sprinkle them on fruit bowls, and yes, eat them straight from the bag with my fingers. I love their slightly bitter flavor and crunch. Cacao nibs are one of the purest forms of chocolate that we can find domestically. Before it’s turned into chocolate chips, bars, candy, and all the other not so healthy stuff, true cacao starts out as an antioxidant-packed seed.
• Green juice. I don’t drink it every day, but try to on most days. It just makes me feel so refreshed and invigorated. My current favorite blend is kale, romaine, cucumber, celery, pear, parsley, ginger. Yum!
• Ghee. I eat a dairy-free diet about 99% of the time, but lately I’ve been working small amounts of ghee into my diet on occasion. Ghee is clarified butter, so it’s free of casein and lactose. It’s actually quite nutrient dense and, if it’s from pastured grass-eating cows, a good source of healthy fats. I use it occasionally when I’m making eggs, stir-fries, soups, and squash puree.
• Cauliflower. I don’t know what it is about winter, but I always find myself craving raw cauliflower (and broccoli) this time of year. It happens like clockwork. I just crave big hunks of cauliflower! What’s up with that? I think my body is wanting fresh, raw, crunchy foods in the midst of the cold and drying season.

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What I’m Reading…

• I recently finished The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton and loved it! She’s one of my favorite fiction authors and I couldn’t wait to start her newest book that came out last fall. I had some downtime around the holidays, so I polished it off in about two days. It was wonderful!
• Another good read (although I’ll admit, not as good as Morton’s): A Light Between Oceans. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that takes place primarily in Australia, so it was different and I enjoyed the change of scenery.
• I also just started reading Son by Lois Lowry. She’s a young adult fiction author. Yes, I read teen fiction and I’m not ashamed! I love books of all kinds, and if they just so happen to be marketed to teenagers, who cares? Son is the final installment in The Giver Series. I’ve read all of the other books in what is now a quartet and loved each one. If you enjoy good, clean fiction that makes you think, read stuff by Lois Lowry.

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Do you have any good book recommendations? Please leave a comment and let me know! I am always, always, always looking for more good reads so I’d love your input.

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Walk 365 Update…

Well, my Walk 365 challenge took a wintery turn before Christmas when we got dumped with 18+ inches of snow at once. Around that time, my commitment to walking every day began to get a little shaky. I found myself forcing myself out the door just to log the miles. I lost the critical enjoyment factor.

So I decided that Walk 365 would be a metaphor: walking most days of the year instead of every day of the year. I didn’t want the walking process to turn into something legalistic, so I’m no longer tracking my miles. I walk when I can and when I want to, which is most days. When the winter passes, I’m confident that I’ll be back to a daily regimen. For now, I’m content with a “winter adaptation” of Walk 365.

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Things have been busy around here lately in a good way, but I’m frequently finding myself feeling drained at the end of the day. I just have to remind myself that the seasons of life come and go. All will settle down eventually.

I’ll leave  you with this great quote that I read the other day. It’s a good reminder to embrace life in all its forms.