Vivian Vana Stevens
  • About
  • Work Experience
  • Blog
    • Disclaimers
  • Academic Work

I'm Vana, and this is my blog.


How My Husband Proposed to Me

12/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Two years ago today the love of my life asked me to marry him. Fast forward to now as happy newly-weds and I could not be more grateful for Adam and all he has brought to my life. Today I was reflecting on the proposal and how much it meant to both of us, and I wanted to share what the day was like as well as give a little context on why Adam proposed the way that he did. 

The night before we got engaged Adam and I had returned from lots of Christmas traveling and family visiting. We had been asked if we were going to get married, if so when, how serious we were, and all the questions that come up when a couple in their 20s has been together for a certain period of time. We sat down and I asked Adam where he saw our relationship going and if he had been thinking of getting engaged, we talked about our full plan and he said he might propose sometime after April. Little did I know that at that moment he had already decided he was going to propose the next day. 

Fast forward - we had breakfast that morning (egg in a basket and coffee) and I headed out to go pick up one of my very best friends from the Tulsa airport. During this time Adam already had the idea to use the video game Stardew Valley to propose.  He headed to Jackson Diamond Jewelers in Stillwater to put the final payment on my ring, and came back to start working on his plan on his farm in Stardew Valley.

For a little background: As kids we both enjoyed video games, and for Adam video games helped him overcome a lot of his personal obstacles in college. I fell off of the gaming wagon in high school and, other than the occasional Smash Bros tournament with our friends, had not played games in a while. It was Adam that re-introduced games to me by getting me a Nintendo 2DS for my first birthday with him with the games Fantasy Life, Pokemon Sun, and Animal Crossing New Leaf for us to play. We played those games so much that spring semester that Adam helped me set up an Xbox Live profile on his Xbox. His dad gave us an older Xbox he had in his house so that I could have my own to play with as well.  Then when we first moved to Stillwater Adam helped me set up our Xbox's side-by-side in the living room, so we could always play together.

We played a ton of games, but that first week in Stillwater Adam bought us both Stardew Valley because he'd heard good things about it online. We started playing together, and quickly grew obsessed with it! We probably played it 150+ hours from July-December, and that may be underestimating it. We both made respective farms, joined the subreddit, and bonded over how much we enjoyed playing it together. We would even plan stay-in date nights around it (something we still do on occasion). So Adam's inspiration to propose to me was to write out "Marry Me?" in tulips (my favorite real-life and in-game flower).

I remember walking in and him asking me to look at his screen because he was building something. It is a farming game, so I wondered if it was a new mill or a fun cabin, maybe the multi-player update had come out. So I scrolled through and was surprised to find "Marry Me?" spelled out, and looked over to see Adam on one knee. It was surreal; I was overfilled with joy and warmth. We both teared up, and even our cat Leo joined in our hugging. His proposal was so personal to both of us, and was planned around something we both really cherish and bond over. After that we went out to lunch, called our families from there, and the rest is history! 

I posted our story on Reddit, and it blew up! Well, more than any post I have ever posted before at least. PC Gamer Magazine's Luke Winkle even reached out and did an article about us and how great Stardew Valley is for couples. Since the multiplayer update releasing that has only become more true. 

As we get closer to concluding our first year of marriage I can't help but ponder on how fortunate we were to find each other. We have taken some time today to celebrate by going out to breakfast, and tonight will play more Stardew Valley.

The picture he proposed with:

Picture

The final result:

Picture
0 Comments

Pour-Over Coffee

12/29/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome Back! I apologize for going so long without posting, it has been a crazy and travel-filled holiday season. Today I wanted to talk about the pour-over Adam and I have been using for the past 2 months and what a great investment it has been. We got it as a lightning deal on amazon through this link, and it was only $16! It is really easy to use and comes with instructions on how to use it, how to clean it, etc. It is extremely user friendly and the shop selling it through Amazon even reached out to give us tips on how to use it properly. It makes an incredible cup of coffee and only requires the regular drip coffee grind (so any bag of pre-ground coffee at your local grocery store will do) and hot water. Check out some of our own experiences below!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
When using a pour over coffee maker such as this one you don't need to buy filters because the device is designed to filter the coffee itself. However, as you pour in the hot water, note that when it first fills up and takes a while to drain it is helpful to give it 30 seconds before trying to add more water. This process is called blooming; it adds to the flavor and I personally think helps the coffee start to filter more quickly after the initial pause. We have used the pour over for a stay-at-home coffee cup as well as an on-the-go tumbler and have not had any issues with it. If you love coffee as much as we do, this may be a fun avenue to check out!
0 Comments

Cafe Du Monde Brought Home

12/18/2019

1 Comment

 
Impromptu Date Nights are a way of life for Adam and I right now, and they are some of my favorite moments. On Saturday when we both got home from work I asked if he'd want to use the Cafe Du Monde mix and coffee we brought back from New Orleans to have breakfast for dinner. He pitched taking it one step further and using the Christmas Cookie Cutters to make the beignets in fun holiday themed shapes. Overall we had a blast! You can order the Cafe Du Monde Beignet mix on Amazon, as well as a tin of the Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory to make your own date-night and bring a little bit of NOLA home. Here are some fun tips (you can technically find on the back of the beignet box) to host your own Cafe Du Monde night at home!
Picture
Picture
Picture
You'll want to stir together in a bowl 7oz of water and 2 cups of beignet mix, but don't over mix the dough!
You'll want to heat up a pot of oil to 370F (we used vegetable oil in our cast iron dutch oven, but any pot will do!)
Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/8in thick, then cut either 2 inch squares, or use cookie cutters to make whatever shapes you like.
Drop the dough in but don't add to many, as they won't cook properly if you do. We used a metal sifter to pick up the pieces once they were done!
It helps to add the powdered sugar while they are still pretty hot.
Picture
Picture
We were big fans of the final product! We made drip-coffee with the Cafe Du Monde chicory and coffee tin, and my favorite part is pouring the coffee over the beignet to let the warm dough absorb the bold coffee flavor, and to keep the powdered sugar from drying out your throat.
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

S'mores Covered Pretzels

12/16/2019

1 Comment

 
This time of year always sparks my interests in chocolate desserts and with a ton of ingredients left over from our fudge adventure/general snacking, Adam and I decided to try out a new chocolate covered pretzel method. We have been on a big S'mores kick since making S'mores Fudge, so here is what we came up with!
Picture

S'mores Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:
  • 4 Cups Pretzels
  • 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2 Cups Marshmallows
  • 1 Graham Cracker (crushed)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Directions:
  • Spray cooking spray onto a baking sheet, then lay parchment paper on the baking sheet. Afterwards spray the parchment paper with cooking spray again. 
  • Spread out the pretzels evenly on the pan, although some will overlap.
  • Spread out the chocolate chips evenly over the pretzels.
  • Lay the marshmallows over the pretzels, then bake the tray at 350F for 10 minutes.
  • Check the marshmallows to make sure they are lightly toasted. If the toasting is uneven turn the pan to face the other way and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove tray and pour the mixture into a large bowl. Stir it all together while it is still hot, letting the pretzels get covered evenly.
  • Pour the bowl of ingredients back onto the parchment covered sheet and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top.
  • Enjoy hot like nachos or put in the fridge for 30 minutes for chocolate covered pretzels!
Picture
1 Comment

Venison Chili

12/14/2019

0 Comments

 
For the next few months we will be welcoming a guest blogger on occasion (Adam Stevens, my sweet husband) to post some of what he calls his favorite "bachelor pad" recipes. He says they are recipes he often eats when I am out of town and at more often while he was single. Here is a little more from him on the topic:
"Bachelor Pad meals are meant to be easy, simple, and hearty.  Last weekend while Vana was visiting her friend in St. Louis  I made this Chili and ate it all weekend. It was easy to cook and has a rich and savory flavor. I hope you all enjoy!" - Adam
Picture

Venison Chili 

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 lbs Venison (cubed)
  • 1 large white onion (diced)
  • 1 can of tomato paste (5 oz)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (10 oz)
  • 2 packets of chili mix
  • 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • Diced garlic (optional)
  • 1 tsp finely ground coffee (optional)
Directions:
  • Pre-cut your venison and onion and place into the crock pot
  • Add your diced tomatoes and tomato paste and mix together
  • Mix in your seasonings and worcestershire sauce, and optionally add in your garlic and coffee
  • Cook on high for 4-5 hours in the crock pot
  • Serve warm with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream
  • Enjoy!
Picture
0 Comments

Holiday Fudge X3

12/13/2019

2 Comments

 
So I am pretty positive my grandma got the main base fudge recipe off of the back of a marshmallow creme container, but man oh man is it good! For the first time Adam and I made it Monday (well, Adam did all of the work honestly) and he made 3 versions of it. If you like smores, cookie butter, or just fudge in general check them out! We made a full 3 batches of fudge and have brought them to all sorts of parties and gatherings.
Picture

S'mores Holiday Fudge

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Graham Crackers
  • 2 Cups Mini Marshmallows
Picture
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • Pour a thin layer of fudge on the bottom of the pan. Then, cover fudge in a single layer of graham crackers.
  • Coat the top of the graham crackers in fudge, then sprinkle a single layer of mini marshmallows.
  • Bake in the oven on broil for 4 minutes, or until marshmallows burn. Then remove, scrape off the "burnt" part of the marshmallows, and bam!
  • Refrigerate for 2+ hours or until chocolate sets.
  • Enjoy a delicious campfire themed fudge.

Cookie Butter Holiday Fudge

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Cookie Butter ( 6 Tbs)
Picture
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • Pour half of mixture into a 9in X 13in pan.
  • In a sauce pan melt cookie butter on low and drizzle over the chocolate in pan.
  • Pour the rest of the fudge on top and refrigerate for 2+ hours.

Holiday Fudge (The Original)

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • ​Pour into a 9in X 13 in pan.
  • ​Refrigerate for 2+ hours or until chocolate sets.
Picture
2 Comments

Practice Writing

12/11/2019

3 Comments

 
After feeling inspired to write something fun by friends and family, I wrote a few short paragraphs of a short story I have been working on. It would be the opening paragraph of a story about my grandmother and her childhood. She was an incredible woman who lived through a lot and was a true cowgirl, so if you would like feel free to read it over. Comments/suggestions are welcome as I am very new to this and it is just a rough draft of what could eventually be a short story.

The Adventures of Cici the Cowgirl

Picture
“Just take a deep breath … and go.”

    Cici could feel the movement of her horse beneath her as she trotted into the arena. She scanned the area, looking at the crowd and the calves before her as she took a deep breath. The smell of red dirt filled her lungs and it was then that she knew which calf it would be. A small hereford stood a little in front and to the right of the herd. With the judges now behind her Cici gripped the reins in her hands and moved forward. 

    Cici was only 4’9” at 11 years old. A beauty with a mop of curly black hair, jarring blue eyes, and a warm smile, but she’d never want you to know that. She kept her hair tied behind her head or braided underneath a straw hat most days, a look her mother was not particularly fond of. Cici was commonly teased for dressing and acting like a “tomboy”, but no one ever teased her when she competed alongside her father in cutting horse competitions. No, it was then and only then that she felt like she was part of something bigger, something greater than herself. Working together with her quarter horse Wilson to herd a calf was something as basic and traditional as a cowboy itself. 
3 Comments

Best Gifts for Friends in 2019

12/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Who doesn't struggle to find the perfect gift for your closest friends? Especially if you are on a budget! If you've read my post on how to be a better gift giver and you're still wracking your brain for ideas, check out my list below! I organized it by interest so that there are multiple options to look at for each of your friends. I will give a heads up - this list was created out of an age range of 20-38 year olds in mind so I guess you could say best gifts for your Gen Z and Millennial Friends?

1. The Work Friend

  • Rustic Wooden Office Organizer
  • Fancy Pens
  • K-Cups
  • A Planner
  • Newtons Cradle
Picture

2. The Friend Who Likes to Read or Write

  • The Novel Notebook
  • Journals
  • Book of the Month Subscription
  • Good Quality Pencils

3. The Harry Potter Loving Friend

Picture
  • Harry Potter Adult Coloring Book
  • Sorting Hat Candle
  • Harry Potter House themed Pajama Pants
  • Wand Replica
  • The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

4. The Anime Friend

  • Anime Body Pillow of Their Favorite Character
  • Pop Figures of Their Favorite Characters
  • Anime Movies/Blu Rays of Studio Ghibli (or other popular films)
  • Themed Items (For One Piece a Straw Hat, for Fairy Tail a Panther Lily Plush, etc.)

5. The "Cool" Friend

  • Gift Cards to Their Favorite Stores
  • Whiskey Stones
  • Fun Ice Cube Trays
  • SnoFlake Multi-Took
  • A Book Intended to Organize Passwords and Logins

6. The Basic Friend

Picture
  • Soft Blanket
  • Fuzzy House Shoes
  • Soft Socks
  • Reusable Straws
  • Mini Waffle Maker (Only $15!)
  • Candles

7. The Friend with Pets

  • Natural Elk Antler Chew (dogs)
  • Squeaky Chicken Toy (dogs)
  • Tower of Tracks (Cat)
  • Animal Bandanna
  • Pet Collar Bowtie

8. The Friend Who Like to Cook

  • A Stove-top Tea Kettle
  • Knife or Knife Set
  • Good Knife Sharpener
  • Avocado Slicer
  • Britta Filter Water Bottle
  • Fun Cooking Oils
Picture

9. The Friend Who Works Out a Lot

  • A Water Bottle for Running
  • A Pilates Socks
  • Shaker Bottle
  • Yoga Mat

10. The Friend into Super Heroes

  • A POP Figure of their favorite Hero
  • A T-shirt of their favorite heroes (Hot topic and BoxLunch have great sales)
  • A Stackable Snack Pack​
  • Wall Art (posters, framed pictures, etc. Hobby Lobby has a lot of great options)

11. The Friend Who Needs a Break

Picture
  • Zen as F*ck Journal
  • Face Masks
  • Dammit Doll
  • Herbal Tea
  • Oil Diffuser for Aroma Therapy

12. The Friend That Loves Sports

  • A blanket from their favorite sports team
  • Basketball or Baseball or Football Dammit Doll
  • Sports Glassware (Cups, glasses, tumblers, yeti's (or knock offs), etc.)
  • Sports Themed Office Trashcan

13. The Friend Who Likes to Travel

  • Neck Pillow
  • Wireless Headphones
  • Fun Luggage Tags
  • Portable Charger (less expensive) (more expensive)
  • Airplane Foot Hammock​
Picture

14. The Friend Who Likes The Outdoors

  • Field Journal
  • All Weather Pen for Field Journal
  • Portable First Aid Kit
  • Outdoor Waterproof Blutooth Speaker

15. The Friend That Plays Video Games

Picture
  • Animal Crossing New Horizons (maybe this one is just me)
  • Gift Card for Their Gaming System of Choice
  • Wall Hangers for Controllers/Headsets
  • Pop Figures or Figurines from Favorite Games
  • Game Controller Cuff-links
  • Gaming Themed Ornament

16. The Friend Into Art or DIY Projects

  • Art supplies (Paint, Colored Pencils, Sketch Pads, Canvas, etc.)
  • Glue or Wood Glue
  • Wall Stud Finder
  • Basic Tool Kit
  • Patterned Fabric Patches

17. The Friend That Plays Board/Card Games

  • On A Scale of One to TRex
  • Unstable Unicorns ($30 for game and all expansions at wish.com)
  • Ticket to Ride
  • New Phone, Who Dis?
  • Exploding Kittens​
  • Jenga
Picture

18. Best Friend Themed Gifts

  • Friendship Pictures
  • Long Distance Necklace
  • Key Chain with States
  • A Picture Ornament from Shutterfly
I hope these gave you some great ideas of things to get for your friends this holiday season!
Picture
0 Comments

Everything We Ate: November 2019

12/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
On November 7th I was done. I was following my "Last 90 Days" plan of drinking more water, cutting out candy, and all of the other things that go along with it. But as the work day on November 7th came to a close I was disgusted with myself. Then, I saw a reddit thread about Intermittent Fasting (IF). Adam has brought up the idea before, but we were thinking of it as something that would cut out dinner. We were eating breakfast every day so we figured going 7am-3pm or 8am-4pm to accomplish a 16:8 fast seemed impossible. I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but as I read through it clicked that we could limit ourselves to just eating from 12pm-8pm and it would work for our lifestyle. 

Now, I know the thought of skipping breakfast can be taboo for some, but for us the idea of skipping dinner and going to bed hungry or not refueling after a work out was worse. I can't say we have been perfect since starting the 16:8 IF cycle, we have had days where we are 30 minutes-an hour off, and one day we did not follow it all together, but we've also had days where we have made it closer to the 18:6 mark. While our weight-loss has been minimal/slow, it has been steadily taking effect without a ton of effort on our parts. We have been exercising alongside starting IF and it has not caused us to be tired or have any sort of muscle fatigue because we are still working to fuel ourselves within the set amount of time. 

The benefit I think Adam and I have appreciated the most is the simplicity of only worrying about 2 meals a day. Before when we would meal prep it felt like we needed to spend hours making 3 different meal options to mix up; but now that we are only worried about two meals a day we have gained a lot of free time back. Cooking (something we always have and still enjoy) has been even more fun because we can focus our energy onto one big dinner-like meal to spread out over the whole week vs. trying to make two or three. You can definitely see some of our good days and some of our bad, as well as where we missed out on our own training regimen. But for reference I also included the exercise we did on the days we did it with the lists of what we ate.
November 8th:
Black Coffee
Egg Bake Piece
Bagel
Thin Sliced Cheese
Soba Noodles w/ Chicken
-16:8 Fast-
November 9th:
Black Coffee
1/2 Waffle
2 Eggs
Bacon
2 Slices of Pizza
Gelato
2 Glasses of Pinot Grigio
​-16:8 Fast-
​*5K Run*
November 10th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices of Pizza
Asian BBQ Chicken
Cauliflower Rice
1 Tiny Cup of ​Sake
​-16:8 Fast-
November 11th:
Black Coffee
Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Asian BBQ Chicken
​Cauliflower Rice
​Small Cup Sake
​-16:8 Fast-
*Elliptical and Treadmill*
November 12th:
Black Coffee
​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Hawaiian Chicken
Cauliflower Rice
​2 Cookies
​-
16:8 Fast-
November 13th:
Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Cauliflower Rice
​-
16:8 Fast-
*2 Mile Walk*
November 14th:
​Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Hawaiian Chicken
​Cauliflower Rice
​-16:8 Fast-
November 15th:
​​Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
​1/2 Order Tonkatsu Don

2 BBQ Pork Steam Buns
1 Tiny Sake Cup
4 Small Cookies

Peppermint Tea
​4 Cookies
-15:9 Fast-
November 16th:
Black Coffee
Eggs Benedict
Hawaiian Latte
​1/4 a 3 Cheese Platter
Crackers
2 Chicken Pot-stickers
​2 Glasses Pinot Grigio
​2 Cookies
-15:9 Fast-
*4 Mile Walk*
November 17th:
Black Coffee
1/2 Peanut Butter Waffle
1/2 Pecan Waffle
1 Egg
1 Bacon Strip
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
​​White Claw
​-
16:8 Fast-
November 18th:
Green Apple Tea
Black Coffee
Cheese Stick
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
1 Cup Hunter's Pie​
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 19th:
Black Coffee
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
1 Cup Hunter's Pie
15 Mini Pretzels
​1/2 Cup Berries
Chamomile Tea
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
*2 Mile Run*
November 20th:
Black Coffee
​1/2 ​Asian Sesame Salad
Cup Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2in Baguette Slice
1&1/2 Cup Hunter's Pie
1/2 Peanut Butter Sandwich
Chamomile Tea
​-16:8 Fast-
​*Work Out Class*
November 21st:
Black Coffee
Salmon Fillet
Bagel
Thin Slice Colby Jack Cheese
Fried Egg
1 Cup Hunter's Pie
12 Blueberries
5 Raspberries
Mini Package Fruit Gushers
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 22nd: 
​Black Coffee
Salmon Fillet on Bagel
Thin Sliced Cheese
Fried Egg
Mini Almond Joy
1/2 Cup of Panera Mac&Cheese
1/2 Turkey, Apple, Cheddar Sandwich
1/2 Short Bread Cookie
Coffee
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
*Walk 1.5 Miles*
November 23rd:
1/2 Turkey, Apple, Cheddar Sandwich
Black Coffee
​1/2 Cup of Panera Mac& Cheese
1/2 Short Bread Cookie
1/2 December Bokksu
Green Tea
Affogato
1 Cup Spaghetti Squash-Carbonara
​-16:8 Fast-
November 24th:
Black Coffee
​1 Waffle
2 Small Chicken Strips
1/2 Banana 
Syrup, Whipped Cream, etc
2 Soft Fajita Tacos
13 Tortilla Chips
Homemade Guacamole
Cheeze-Its & Cookie
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
​Bowl of Ice Cream​
November 25th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices Small Pizza
2 Mac&Cheese Bites
1 Cup Carbonara
​1 Mini KitKat
8 Tortilla Chips
​Homemade Guacamole
​-16:8 Fast-
​*Work Out Class*
November 26th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices Small Pizza
1/2 Tonkatsu Don Bowl
1 BBQ Pork Steam Bun
1/2 M&M Cookie
-19:5 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 27th:
Black Coffee
Chips & Guac
1/2 Grilled Cheese
1 Wine Spritzer
​1 Granola Bar
-16:8 Fast-
November 28th:
1 Brioche Baguette
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
Black Coffee
Egg Casserole
Veggies from a Tray
Mimosa
3 Glasses of Wine
​Thanksgiving Meal
​Pecan Pie
*5K Run*
November 29th:
Coffee with a little Cream
1/2 Sweet Potato Hash Bowl
2 Bites of Chocolate Pancake
Italian Ice
Turkey Sandwich on Baguette
​2 Old Fashions
November 30th:
Coffee with a little Cream
​​1/2 Sweet Potato Hash Bowl
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
1/2 Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl
​1 Piece Peppermint Toffee
2 Glasses of Sprite
Pesto Chicken Penne

December 1st:
Black Coffee
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
Sesame Bagel
Egg
Thin Sliced Cheese
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Roll
Corn
Pumpkin Muffin Top
-16:8 Fast-
You may notice that there came a point in which our lunches started consisting of lighter foods. That is for two reasons: one is that our second week on IF we ate a lot of red meat and it caused me to have terrible acid reflux in the middle of the day. This was a huge issue and we also realized that it would not help us reach our goals of a 18:6 or the One Meal A Day (OMAD) Intermittent Fasting style if we kept having two heavy meals vs. putting more emphasis on one of the meals. 

You will also notice that as we hit thanksgiving week things got a little out of hand. We were not able to keep up with fasting but we went in to those 3 days knowing that would be the case. To show that this is not the end but only the beginning of our journey I included December 1st, which was our first day to really get back to intermittent fasting and today we are getting back into making overall healthier choices. I am grateful for what IF has done for me so far and I am excited to see how it continues!

Overall Adam and I have continued to follow the "Last 90 Days" to the best of our abilities! I think two things that have stuck with us the most are drinking more water and taking time to say what we are grateful for each day. IF has sort of replaced the cutting out a specific food, which has been helpful. Reflecting on the thanksgiving holiday and this time of year, what are things in your life you are grateful for?
0 Comments

    Author

    I am a student affairs professional, an amateur chef, and an adventurer at heart.

    Subscribe

    Want an email every time I post? Click the Subscribe button below!
    Subscribe to blog

    Archives

    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
    Pinterest Mega tag
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Work Experience
  • Blog
    • Disclaimers
  • Academic Work