Chewy, thick, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips are a treat that we’ve enjoyed for a lot of years now.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

It is no secret that I keep a full cookie jar. I have a house full of boys constantly on the prowl for a snack. I also stash lots of cookies and cookie dough ready to be baked in the freezer to avoid running out.

Oatmeal cookies are such a versatile classic. The nuttiness of the oatmeal and sweet chocolate hit the spot when the mid-afternoon munchies come on. These cookies help fill the gap when dinnertime gets stretched later during the summer.

If you find yourself out of quick oats when making these cookies you can use regular rolled oats. They are fairly interchangeable when baking. The rolled oats will result in a slightly heartier cookie and may take longer to bake.

I like to consider oatmeal cookies breakfast. I mean it is basically a bowl of oatmeal and when peanut butter is added there is your protein. Breakfast, who would argue with that logic?

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe multiplies beautifully. I frequently triple it in order to have plenty of cookies to stash in the freezer or to make more Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches.

When multiplying the recipe, take care not to allow the dough to warm too much. I find it’s helpful to tuck the cookie dough in the fridge between batches. This results in thicker, prettier cookies every time. 

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Are you questioning what your next move will be? Or feeling disconnected from yourself? It might be time to do some soul-searching, and we’ve got the tips to help you on your way

Do you ever get the feeling that there must be more than this? Perhaps in your daily life, or in whatever you’re heading towards on the horizon? Or maybe the things that used to do it for you no longer give you the pleasure they did before, or you experience tension and dissonance in an area of your life that used to flow so easily?

Us humans have been obsessed with soul-searching since the first Greek philosopher got up on their soapbox; asking questions about who we really are, what our purpose is, and how we should live our lives. In 2022, it’s safe to say we’re not really any closer to a conclusive answer we can all agree on, but there’s beauty in that. When you go on a soul-searching journey, you’re going into the depths of what makes you you, and coming out with your own answers that don’t need to be signed-off by anyone else to make them legitimate – meaning the possibilities for self-growth are endless.

“An example of a dictionary definition of ‘soul-searching’ is: ‘A long and careful examination of your thoughts and feelings, especially when you are trying to make a difficult moral decision, or thinking about something that has gone wrong,’” says life coach Alison Muir. “For me, this is too limited. Yes, often when faced with a difficult decision we will search deep within us for an answer that feels ‘right’ – which aligns with our sense of who we are, our morals, ethics, beliefs, and values. But what if those aren’t clear for you? What if you’ve lost your sense of self, purpose, or meaning? That’s what ‘soul-searching’ means to me.”

Alison points to Viktor Frankl’s 1992 book Man’s Search for Meaning, where he writes: “Striving to find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man.”

“Nobody wants to feel like a stranger to themselves,” Alison says. “We seek to understand ourselves and our place in this world to know that there is a meaning to our experience, and that we matter.”

Finding your ‘why’

We all set off on these sorts of ventures starting from different places, but Alison says that she most commonly notes that people begin soul-searching when they find themselves in a position they didn’t expect to be in, or when something just feels wrong.

“This may be because of choices they’ve made, which makes them question themselves,” she explains. “It could be because they’ve experienced trauma or loss, and they need to do some soul-searching to find a way through the experience. It can also occur when someone has spent the majority of their lives putting other people’s needs ahead of their own, and as a result have ‘lost’ themselves.”

Pineapple, strawberries, and grapes are tossed together with a sweet and tangy dressing to make this Honey Lime Fruit Salad.

It’s finished with a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of poppy seeds to make a fabulously refreshing salad on a hot summer day.

Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Summer fruit salads are beautifully versatile. They are always a hit at barbecues and picnics and with the fruits in season right now; you can choose your favorites to combine.

The first time I made this salad, I simply worked with the fruit that was already in the house. We liked it so much, I’ve been making it the same way ever since.

Fruit Salad Dressing

This salad shares a similar honey-lime dressing to the Winter Fruit Salad I shared ages ago. If you enjoy these flavors, you’ll want to try that one next you have an abundance of clementine oranges in the house.

The simple honey-lime dressing takes an everyday bowl of fruit up a notch and makes it something special.

Just whisk together equal parts honey and lime juice and add a sprinkle of salt. The recipe can be doubled or tripled as much as you like!

Summer Fruit Salad Recipe

• Combine the pineapple, strawberries, and grapes in a medium-size bowl.
• Drizzle the lime juice and honey over the fruit.
• Sprinkle with salt and poppy seeds.
• Toss to coat and chill until ready to serve.

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Dry brushing is a simple exercise that improves health by increasing skin circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system. How do you get started and how should you dry brush? Get the answers here.

Hi friends! How’s the morning going so far? The kids are at a morning camp, and I’m working on getting things together for upcoming travels. I hope you’re having a great day so far. 🙂

For today’s post, I want to talk about dry brushing! This is something I’ve done since the Valdosta days (the first time!), and figured it was finally time for a post. Some of my regular habits are so engrained in my routine, I forget about them, and a friend or someone will will say, “Wait. You do/did what?!” lol. These things can be anywhere from chiropractic, functional medicine doctors and testing, acupuncture, Mayan abdominal massage, placenta encapsulation, meditating, using FAM to track my cycle, etc.

Dry brushing that came up in conversation recently, and I wanted to write a blog post and share a short video on this super easy hack you can add into your routine. Friendly reminder that this post is not medical advice! Just sharing my experience.

The Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

Dry brushing involves using a soft bristled brush to gently brush the top layer of skin. You can do this for a variety of reasons: to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, for skin texture and exfoliation, or because it feels great!

Improves lymphatic flow

Our body is covered with lymph nodes that are concentrated in the head and neck area, the armpits, and groin. Our lymphatic system helps with tissue drainage, fat transport, removing waste, and immune function. If these vessels become congested or clogged, you may notice swelling or inflammation. I like to do gentle lymphatic massage on my face and neck, and dry brushing on my body to help encourage my lymphatic system to function properly and keep things moving along!

Can exfoliate and improve skin texture

The act of dry brushing the skin helps to remove dead skin cells on the surface and can help improve skin texture. If you don’t typically exfoliate your body, this is a great way to do it! When you exfoliate your skin, it also helps your moisturizer or body oils absorb properly to hydrate the skin.

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Mexican Roasted Zucchini

Mexican roasted zucchini — Change things up for your next Mexican feast with this fantastic Mexican vegetable side dish!

Alright maybe I don’t know everything about truly authentic Mexican food because I’ve never lived there, but I do know how to make delicious things that go with Mexican food.

I always feel a little frustrated trying to figure out sides for main dishes around the world because we seem to get hyper-focused on a few things and never explore other options. Burritos for dinner, rice and beans as sides. Spaghetti for dinner, garlic bread and salad as the side. Now surely that isn’t how native to Italy or Mexico people are eating.

So long story short, we’ve been making this Mexican Roasted Zucchini for a few years as a way to mix up our tacos, honey lime chicken and more. It is so flavorful but even more easy than frying up a quesadilla. Ok, it’s not, you do have to chop the zucchini, but it is so so simple! It’s a perfect Mexican Side Dish Recipe

What Do I Need for Mexican Roasted Zucchini?

The best news about this recipe is that it only takes a few ingredients to make the magic happen! Grab a few zucchinis