wifey. dog mom. crafter.
This year is all about continuing to be authentic and unapologetic. I want to be who I am and who I love and share my happiness and passions. As you’ll watch, blogging more is going to be a huge goal of mine and I’m excited to start sharing my voice and who I am more. I don’t want to worry about how I look or how professional my lighting is but to just share when I want to, unapologetically.
Here I go!
Happy 2018!!!
I can’t wait to see what amazing things we all do!
So I am a basic b who LOVES fall. I love all things autumn, which of course includes the much beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Besides the hefty price tag, it comes with a whole bunch of calories and chemicals. As you can see below, there just isn’t much good…or much pumpkin, in a PSL.
So what to do when you want that pumpkin spice flavor but don’t want all the calories and sugars? Make your own! I skip the steamed milk and espresso and just made a delicious coffee.
Share this!
Tell me if you try it and what you think!
If you didn’t know, September is Happy Healthy Cat month. You also might not know that I actually have a cat. Yes, the dogs get most of the internet attention but I do have a cat that came along with JoeyWaffles.
Her name is Pteri because when she was a kitten she made sounds like a Pterodactyl. She is cuddly, loves me for some crazy reason, and meows like a psycho when she wants to be fed. She’s actually pretty smart and well, she’s a cat.
So one thing about Pteri is she loves dry food but has never been a fan of wet food…until now. I’ll be the first to admit her diet isn’t ‘purr’fect. She can be a picky eater and she is active but still tends to be a bit of a fat cat. She experiences two of the three most common cat concerns: picky eating, weight gain, and urinary tract issues.
I learned about the Big 3 by partnering with Weruva —a luxurious, natural pet food dubbed “people food for cats” which is launched a full line of gluten, grain, and carrageenan-free cat food in honor of International Cat Day in August. It’s called B.F.F. OMG! (that stands for Best Feline Friend, Oh My Gravy), and it’s all about preventing these Big 3 Cat Concerns.
If your cat has any of these, you might want to consider changing their diet:
Is your cat picky? Picky eating is usually a problem with texture, since cats are carnivores whose tongues and teeth are perfectly evolved for meat-eating. It’s easy to see why a cat might dislike something without real shreds of meat—would you eat a steak with the texture of tapioca? Weruva’s food features these shreds of real meat right off the bone, which is why my cat took to it like a duck to water (or a cat to gravy)!
Got a fat cat? The problem is in the kibble. It’s filled with unnecessary carbs, which are almost impossible for cats to process (they don’t produce amylase, an enzyme which helps humans digest their food). Weruva’s B.F.F. OMG! has no kibble to worry about because it’s 100% real meats in their true form.
UT-why? Urinary tract issues often stem from dehydration—even if you’re giving your cat plenty of water. In the wild, cats stay hydrated through the food they eat instead of what they drink. Cats are used to ‘eating’ their water—but most wet foods don’t have nearly enough hydration to keep them satisfied. All of the products in Weruva’s B.F.F. OMG! line are over 85% hydration, which satisfies my cat’s hydration needs.
Pteri and I love Weruva products because they are considered ‘people food for pets.’ The new line of B.F.F. OMG! cans and pouches feature land proteins like boneless and skinless white chicken breast, salmon, beef, duck, lamb and more. All recipes are grain, gluten, and carrageenan free. And if you are a BPA-free home, check out the pouches because they are are BPA-free. Check out Pteri’s reaction to trying her new food!
Health isn’t just for humans, and I’m glad I took the time to learn how to feed my Pteri properly. Even better, in the process, I found to this is her new favorite food. She especially likes Weruva’s the chicken and salmon flavor, which you can read about at http://www.weruva.com/. You can also explore the whole B.F.F. OMG! lineup there, and find a flavor your cat will ‘paw’sitively adore, at Chewy.com
So I love salads but wasn’t able to eat them for the last 5 years due to my lapland issues. The second I was able to start again after my sleeve surgery, I haven’t stopped. If you follow me on instagram @northshorepoor then you know I am embracing all things salad.
This is the perfect fall salad that’s great for a lunch or as a dinner side (just leave out the meat). I personally make this as an end of the week leftover salad because it involves baked sweet potatoes which I make a big batch of at the beginning of the week. Usually the chicken thighs are also leftovers from a previous nights dinner. The dressing is fantastic and warming up the maple syrup adds a great autumn flavor.
Besides the taste, why else should you make this?
Here are just some of the benefits
Spinach: Raw spinach includes folate, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, and potassium. It’s also rich in iron. (source: Vegetarian Times)
Pecans: They contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Just one ounce of pecans provides 10 percent of the Daily Recommended intake of fiber. Pecans are also rich in age defying antioxidants. (source: Shape Magazine)
Sweet Potatoes: They are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene). They are also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Additionally, they are a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus. (source: Worlds Healthiest Foods)
Ready to make it? Recipe below!
Continue reading “Healthy Harvest Salad Recipe with Maple Dressing!”
What food choices do you lie to yourself about? What do you say is healthy but you know isn’t?
I can’t believe exactly one year from now I will be walking down the aisle and marrying the crazy, handsome, funny, kind, and tall Mr. Joey Waffles. In lieu of my weekly #weddingwednesday post, I wanted to take today to write down how and what I’m feeling.
I am spending this Friday night and Saturday morning with three of my (unofficial until I formally ask) bridesmaids and my Mother trying on wedding dresses. I will probably have my maid of honor face timing in. I get to enjoy a rite of passage with my favorite people, and honestly I never thought I would be excited about this. You see, I was married once, when I was 24.
Ten years ago, I went to a courthouse and said “I do” in a black shirt and jeans and had my wedding meal at iHop and then went to work. I was young, in a rebound relationship, and thought loving and being in love were the same thing. He was my friend and let’s just say 90 Day Fiancé and I had a few things in common.We divorced 4 years later after living apart for over two years and I guess it just made marriage feel like a transaction. It was something I didn’t want or care about and it never felt real to me.
When JoeyWaffles and I got together, it was something neither of us wanted and we didn’t even know where this was going. Sure, we had both been in a few long term, serious relation ships but nothing had ever been smooth sailing. We both had trepidation’s and had been hurt, so we were kind of going in with some restraint. Luckily the more time we spent together we accepted this was something totally different and that meant our future could be too.
In 365 days I get to join my life path with his, in front of family and friends. We get to share our love and goofiness with the most important people in our lives. We get to show faith and trust in each other and in love. We know that there is always a worse, when you say for better or worse, and we’re ready.
In 365 days, I get to dance and sing and enjoy a day full of love and acceptance. A day that 50 years ago, we couldn’t have had without breaking a law. A day that symbolizes our commitment and the life we’re choosing. No, a piece of paper won’t change much but it will be a sign of love, joy, of promises, of a bond, and will remind us that we are sharing this thing called life together.
In 365 days, I get married to my favorite person. My person.
This is my spin on the ever popular cauliflower fried rice. An easy, tasty, and filling dinner you can eat alone or share with friends and family. My goal is always to make bariatric friendly, healthy, and delicious meals that anyone can eat and enjoy. This is a favorite of JoeyWaffles and I because it fills us up without giving us the bloated, too full of rice feeling.
Let me know what you think!
The first thing people say after they congratulate you is, “So when are you getting married?” and ask if you have a date picked out. Picking a date is important because you need to have a venue, officiant, food, dress, etc. and it signifies how much time you have to do all this. Everything is going to revolve around the date so it’s the first step in planning
So what are the top four factors into picking a date?
I ended up choosing June 22, 2018 for my date. I based mine on availability of the venue, time of year in Chicago, and picked a Friday because it was less expensive and I could have a smaller minimum of guests. I actually love my date even though it changed from my original fall plans. It also makes me happy I’ll be a June bride like my mom.
No matter how you pick the date, it will be special to you because you get to marry the love of your life and your favorite person. Not losing site of that is the most important thing and makes everything else just details.
You may be asking “But Tiffany, what about family members and guests?” and you’d be right. I will be getting into guests, friends, family members, and plus ones in a future blog answering all those questions.
What are your thoughts?
So, I’m engaged!
Without much fanfare, Joey and I are tying the knot! This gives me great blog inspiration and I can’t want to share all the things I’m learning and loving with you! Getting to marry the man of my dreams who lets me have four chihuahuas and takes me on jeep rides and has the best heart and laugh is pretty amazing.
I can’t wait to share wedding details and our love story and my journey with you all!
What better way to start off Wedding Wednesdays with a fun infographic I created.
Hope you enjoy it!
What advice do you have for me?
I made this delicious meal the other night and so many people asked for the recipe, I thought I would put it up as I’m back to blogging more! This is a delicious meal you can make in about 30 minutes and tastes amazing. I love risotto but with my tiny stomach, it just isn’t the same health wise and it fills me up too fast. Enter the ever versatile cauli rice. This is a recipe everyone can enjoy. If you don’t like fish, fix your favorite protein over it instead!
Hope you love it!
north shore poor 