Jessica Reads: February

I did not read as much as I planned for February. Sometimes life really does just get in the way. I spent most of the month preparing for a presentation that I was making at conference for a paper that I had written last semester.

Also, I spent an entire week of February fighting some kind of weird cold that zapped me of all of my energy. I basically sat around binge watching This Is Us, a show that I just discovered and super sucked me in.

But, I did manage to read a little. I wish it was more, but I will share with you what I did get through.

The first book I got through in February was The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

Well, actually, I listened to this one. Michael asked me to give The Eye of the World at shot. And so I listened to the audiobook. I'll be honest... it is not my cup of tea. I wish I could, since there are 14 books in the series and Michael is currently on book 12, and really wants to talk about the story with someone. So, I tried. I got all the way through the first book, and I had to ask a lot of questions and have Michael explain so many things. I felt lost so much of the time. It could be that I really don't really enjoy the fantasy genre, at least not one that describes everything in such minute detail. I had a big interest in the characters and their emotions and relationships, but I didn't really care about the rest, and so much of the book was the rest.

Michael, as you know, I did get through it, and when you finish the series you can tell me everything that happened.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I have read Ready Player One before. It was a couple years ago. I don't know why this was one that I decided to go through again, maybe because of the movie that came out last year. We did see the movie, and I didn't think it lived up to the novel, but was a fun story. And then I realized, as I was reading through it again, that the movie changed so much of the story and the contest within the novel. I do recommend it if you have a love of video games, trivia from the 1980's and angst ridden teenagers. I do love the puzzle solving dynamic of the story, though I am not a fan of the main character. It could be that I just do not understand the mind of an 18 year-old boy. It was a fun quick read.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda has been one of my favorite books since I was about 8 years old. I have read it multiple times over the years. But this time was different. My daughter Anya asked me to read to her. I was excited to do this. Although she has seen the movie that came out in the 90s, it cannot stand up to the awesomeness of the book. The movie was just plain terrible. I spent a lot of time laughing with Anya, and enjoying her shocked face at the actions of The Trunchbull. It is a fun story and I believe that every child should read it, or have it read to them at some point in their lives. 

And that's it. A mere three books for the entire month of February. Hopefully March I will dedicate more time like I intended this last month. I am in the middle of several books, so maybe I will start finishing them up. 

What have you been reading? Let me know in the comments.

Discovering Me A to Z: C

I like a good cup of coffee, but I am in no way a coffee snob. I'm actually not too picky about it at all. Basically, when it comes to coffee, I know what I like and what works for me on my Keto Diet.

In the past my typical coffee was from donut shop K-cups, with Coffee-Mate French Vanilla Creamer. When I started keto last summer this would no longer work because it was 5 carbs per tablespoon. 

PER TABLESPOON!

Do you think I was only putting a single tablespoon in my cup of coffee? Ha! It was more like 1/4 cup. Do you know how many tablespoons are in a 1/4 cup? 

Four.

If I would've stuck to my normal coffee routine I would use my daily carb allotment on a single cup of coffee. And I drink more than a cup of coffee a day.

So instead, Michael and I had to change. At first we went cold turkey, no coffee. We were tea drinkers now. But tea, while good, is not as good as coffee. So back to coffee. But I can not drink black coffee. It just don't have it in me. No matter how much I have tried over the years, it feels like torture.

So, here in this lovely photo you see all that it takes to make my perfect cup of coffee. We have made the choice to switch to instant coffee because its cheaper than k-cups and to us, honestly doesn't taste any different and it just makes it all come together that much faster. My Keurig is basically a hot water producer now. We use it for coffee, hot chocolate, and oatmeal for the kids.

EASY KETO COFFEE RECIPE

2 tsp instant coffee (or any coffee you like)

10 oz. hot water

2 tbsp heavy cream

2 tbsp sugar free syrup (this time I used Vanilla Bean)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

All calories, fat and carbs come from the heavy cream. Sometimes I only put in one tablespoon and that cuts everything in half.

Nutrition Facts: Cal: 100, Fat 10g, Carbs: 0.8g Protein: 0

Less than one carb per serving. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Finding Torani sugar free syrups has been a life saver. It sweetens coffee just enough to not be bitter and has so many different flavors there is always some kind of variety. My favorites are S'mores, White Chocolate, and Vanilla.

And I can't have coffee without books. Here is my coffee with a stack of some of the books on my currently reading list. These are my nonfiction books I am reading. Once I finish them I will write about them later.

Do you have a favorite way to make coffee? Have you tried Torani's sugar-free syrups?

Bible Journaling: James 1:23-24

Here is my latest Bible Journaling attempt.

The verse here states: "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" -James 1:23-24

The Word of God is a call to action. We are to take God's word and allow it to be a guide and instruction to our lives. If we remain stagnant and don't move when we are given God's instruction it is like forgetting our own face. We listen, then forget, making God's word worthless to us.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs

I have been doing Keto for about 7 months and have had great success. The food is delicious and filling. It has been by far the longest I've ever maintained any kind of diet. It is one that is easy for me to stay on top of.

Do I miss bread? Sometimes. Especially when I watch my kids down a french loaf with butter, but other than those occasions I don't feel like I am very tempted by carb heavy foods.

Sometimes, though, I want something sweet. Something that feels like a treat. I have since discovered fat bombs.

There are tons of fat bomb recipes out there. And really I just want something simple that I can make and be ready within an hour. After trying tons of different recipes, this one is by far my favorite and completely customization to personal preferences.

This recipe only has 4 ingredients.

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp sugar free syrup

1. Put coconut oil and peanut butter in a microwave safe container ( I just use my Pyrex measuring cup). Microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. 
2. Stir until combined.
3. Add cacao powder and syrup, stir until combined
4. Pour into molds and freeze. 
5. Once solid remove from mold and place in freezer safe container. Store in freezer until ready to eat.
6. Enjoy! 

My mold makes 15 fat bombs.

Nutrition Facts: Recipe makes 15 servings. 

Serving Size: 1 fat bomb

Calories: 113

Fat: 11.8

Carbs: 1.5

Fiber: 0.8

Net Carbs: 0.7

Protien: 2.2

This recipe can be changed easily by using a different nut butter, omitting the cacao if desired, or changing the flavor of the sugar free syrup. Any of these will change the nutrition facts and the flavor.

I hope you enjoy!

Jessica Reads: January

Well, since I officially graduated in December I have suddenly a lot of time on my hands. Of course there are the normal house chores that I try to take care of during the day, but with the kids in school and me on a break as I wait for answers to my graduate school applications, I have time to read.

I don't think you understand the fullness of that statement.

I HAVE TIME TO READ.

It's a funny thing to state here, because for over two years I have been reading and writing nonstop for school. I have dived into awesome and interesting stories. I have trudged through many novels that I hope to never, ever have to read again, but I have done very little nonacademic reading. There has been some that I have squeezed in, mainly during the last summer, but not as much as I have wanted to do.

I love reading. There are very few things as enjoyable as a good book. And so far this January I have taken the time to read, and I wanted to share what I have been reading this month.

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

This book was a great surprise. The concept of the book is simple. Davie is a young girl who is abused by her mother, ignored or bullied by the kids in her school, but somehow maintains hope because of her love of Molly Ringwald movies. She dreams of a future that comes with the happy endings. Life is not that easy for Davie, as we follow her through her decision to leave her home town and pursue a life that is unexpected for the homely quiet girl. Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down. Davie's journey is difficult but worth the adventure.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Roswell

This book I grabbed off the library shelf as I was walking by. I've seen it on several "best" lists. I don't mind reading YA books. I find the experience very enjoyable. I really had no idea was I was getting in to when I began reading, but I was sucked in. Set in the 1980s about a couple of teenagers and how their lives differ from each other and how, in spite of their differences brings them together. It made me remember my own teenage angst and awkwardness, and how difficult it can be to navigate school and family lives simultaneously, when everything doesn't quite meld together cohesively. This book was another fast read because I just couldn't put it down. So much so, that as I was close to finishing I needed to cook dinner for my family and was cooking while reading in spurts because I needed to see what happened to Eleanor and Park. It was that good.

Cherish by Gary Thomas

I try to mix up my books a bit with some non-fiction that I read along with my fiction picks. I bought Cherish a couple of years back. I had read Thomas' A Life-Long Love, and it really changed the way that I thought about marriage and my relationships with people as a whole, so I wanted to try out Thomas's latest. I will say that I did like this book but it didn't nudge me and much as A Life-Long Love did. But, in the end, it did make me thing about how I can be more intentional with the ways that I show love to let those who I love know that I care, which is really what this book is about.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

I really had to push myself to get through War Storm. Over the summer I had read the first three books in the Read Queen series but once school had started back up I did not have time to read its conclusion. While I did enjoy the first book in the series, this one did not really satisfy. Overall it was merely OK. I only finished it because I really prefer to have wrapped up endings and it was only one book left to read. Granted, it was one book of about 700 pages, which I honestly believe could've been cut down by about half and still maintained the integrity of the story. All in all, the series as a whole is great and a captivating read. Maybe if there were not six months between my reading of the third and fourth books I may have been more invested in the finale installment resulting in more excitement and enjoyment.

Finish by Jon Acuff

This is another book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for probably a good year before I had a chance to dive in. I have read several of Acuff's books and he truly has a passion for motivating readers to accomplish their goals by giving advice and developing programs that will lead them in the right direction. I like his take on many of the concepts that stop us from "finishing" our goals. As someone who has a lot of dreams and plans, anything that helps me get past the beginning is great. The book can become slightly repetitive at times but does not take away from the overall message of getting things done.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I ended up reading The Fault in Our Stars because my daughter had picked it up at the library. She had finished reading it and even though I have a large pile of books I am reading or want to read, I was in the mood for something that would go quickly, especially after reading War Storm, which took forever. Now, I know that The Fault in Our Stars is a big deal book for many people and the fact that it has been made into a movie increased its popularity. Also, because of these things, I already knew the base story plus the ending of the story, even though I have never seen the movie, nor picked up the book before a couple of days ago. At best, the book was "meh". It was a fun quick read, but not something I feel like I would be picking up to read again. I felt like the characters were a little on the dull side, in spite of the fact that they are presented as witty and sarcastic. Maybe I felt like it was too much or trying too hard. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I just couldn't. 

What's crazy to me is I read these books in about three weeks but now I already seem to be slowing down. It might be because I over did it... too much too soon, I guess. I was just so excited to read. I'm currently reading a couple of books that I am sure will end up in my February update.

With my goal being so much for this year, I need recommendations. What is your favorite book? Have you read something fun lately? 

I'm up for any ideas and will try just about anything. 

Goals 2019

So, the few goals that I gave myself here on the blog this last year did not really pan out the way that I hoped. But, it's ok. Sometimes things do not turn out as expected.

But this year, I did read at least 12 non-school books and Michael and I did go camping. Managing to get 2 out of the 5 goals works for me.

There is something that I didn't put on my goals list but is such a great accomplishment for me:

I have finished my Bachelor's Degree in English!

This was a long time dream of mine to return to school and get my degree and I did it! And I have loved all of it. In fact, I have loved it so much I decided that I want to continue my education and pursue a Masters Degree.

So, yay me!

But now, it's time for my 2019 Goals.

1. Read 52 books- averaging one a week for the year.
2. Write a story.
3. Weekly date night with Michael. One out of the house date a month.
4. Daily "one good thing" journaling.
5. Make a healthy exercise routine and stick to it.

And that's it for this year. My goal is to keep it simple and hopefully will accomplish more this year than the last.

Have a Happy New Year!

Goals 2018

The last several months of 2017 were hard and busy. I have thought about writing on the blog several times, but have never been able to get myself to sit down and do it. 

Part of the reason I have been unable to write on here is because I want to write a blog about my grandfather who passed away on September 17th... but, I just haven't been able to yet. The loss of him came very fast and though it has been months I have found myself stuck when it comes to writing about him. There is just too much to say.

Another reason that the blog has been lacking is my school schedule. I went back to school to obtain my degree in English and this last semester was a tough one. But I made it through. I have been writing and reading almost constantly but it has been almost exclusively academic. It has been a lot of hard work but worth it. I feel like I have learned so much. I am a year away from receiving my degree, which seems unbelievable and exciting but so far away. 

So, today's post is supposed to be about the goals for this year. Every year I make a list of goals and try to keep them updated as I move throughout the year. Some goals are easy to track and others are more of just feeling it, however, I never seem to complete all of them. But that's ok too. Sometimes just having the goal is enough.

So let's check out my goals for 2018.

1. Read one nonacademic book a month, or 12 "fun" books for the year.
2. Be able to run 3.1 miles without stopping. (This includes completing C25K)
3. Go camping.
4. Finish re-carpeting the house.
5. Write at least 6 blog posts in 2018.

And there you have it. The list is short this year. I'm finding that there are many things that I want to do and accomplish but I am also trying to be realistic when it comes to the amount of physical time I have. I want to be able to be successful with school, while still giving time to my church and spending time with my family. So, while it is very important that I do things that are for me, I do not want to have so many goals that I lose focus on the most important things.

Happy New Year!