Pet Peeve: When SOMEONE opens a fresh loaf of bread, skips the chewy heel and dives straight into the suppler slices in the middle.

Pet Peeve: When SOMEONE ruins my evening schedule by deciding to go on an inopportunely timed jog with his friend despite my carefully planned dinner for two.

Yes, I am in a peevish mood. Apologies.

However, I still decided to carry on with my dinner plans. It was time for a roast veggie session. And since M isn’t home to eat with me, I changed up the veggies a bit and decided to go with kabocha squash and okra – my favs, but M hates them. The squash and roasted okra were amazing.

Lots of veggies on a bed of soft quinoa -healthy right?

That was not by mistake. I’ve been feeling a little cruddy lately because of too much indiscriminate processed foods munching. Too much sugar, too many bad snacks, too much fat.

So M and I have decided to embark upon a “Challenge.” I used to do these last year with my coworker Gaysey while we were traveling on the road – I would cut out refined sugar for a few days, he would do away from white carbs. We would then miserably commiserate on how dependent we were on these foodstuffs.

But at the end of our set timeline, I would always feel a lot clearer and healthier.

M and I have agreed – even shaken hands on this – to cut out refined sugar for a week. That basically rules out all prepared sweets and desserts, lots of various processed snacks, but allows all kinds of fruit.

We’re also going to run 3x a week. I’m a little scared, but also kind of excited. I am NOT a runner. At all. Last year, Scot and I would hit the gym after work and run, but honestly, I was only going to the gym because I am a competitive freak. I worked my endurance up and one afternoon I ran 6 miles in an hour. Then I stopped running.

I reached my pinnacle and there was nowhere to go but down right?

No more, I will run again! Hopefully, in a few months, I’ll be back doing 6 miles/hour.

Tonight, I will have my last bites of sweets for at least a week. M brought home some Specialty’s – the BEST chocolate chip cookies in the world. I swear. It’s the salt and the dense, doughy texture.

xoxo,

Jenn

P.S. Don’t worry, I made M some chicken after he got back from his run. I am actually getting pretty whiz-like with the chicken. Tonight’s had a really nice crust and was seasoned with paprika and rosemary. He didn’t just get veggies and quinoa.