Cooking Adventures

Since being abroad I have had to take up a lot more home cooking. I never thought I was a bad cook, I just didn't do it often. I didn't think I had cooking creativity. At first, being here I realized there is so much you need to cook things. The basics will only do for so long. But then tonight I took the basics to another level!! I made my own little pasta dish with some ingredients I discovered are good for many purposes.

-Pasta
-Steak
-Spinach
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Mushrooms
-Cheese
-Tomato sauce

That's all it took! A handful of ingredients I already had on hand. I cooked the steak, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes on the stove in some oil. Placed all that on the pasta with a bit of sauce and a dash of cheese on top! Waa-Laa a main course meal for one! The ingredients are good for you and its not a frozen pizza! I may be a little too pleased for creating a pasta dish, but this was my best quick pull together of fresh ingredients. Normally all my veggies go bad before I use them up. I can only eat sandwiches so many times too. Pasta noodles never go bad but they can be dull. I spiced up my cooking and it tastes delicious!! As pleased as I am, I am still taking recipe! Well eat on!

Summer must haves

Summer is finally amount us! I have been trying to enjoy all my free time and do all the summer musts! By doing this I have noticed a select few things I must have for this time of year! Here is my list of 6 must haves for summer..

1: Water is a must! Staying hydrated is so important while spending time in the sun. It is good for you on many levels too, like helping with digestion and keeping your skin hydrated and glowing. I use a babble. They are perfect because they are reusable and have a filter. I like plastic water bottles more than metal. They are also cheap and sell new filters for cheap too.

2: sun hats are all the rage this time of year. They are fashionable and come in all kinds of styles, fits, patters, and colors. I have never been a hat person, but I am going to try on sunny days. Hats also help protect your scalp from sun damage and your face too. 

3: Yoga is my new favorite activity. You can do it outside, in a porch, or in your Livingroom. So even on rainy summer days you can still get your tree pose on. I also like yoga because it helps center me and connect with my nature surroundings. Not to mention it is great exercise. 

4: sunglasses are an absolute must!! There are so many pairs to choose from! Beach day pairs, road trip pairs, family BBQ pairs, it's endless. You should look for pairs that have a uv protected sticker on them. That will help protect your eyes from those harmful sun rays. 

5: Summer is the main time I have to read any book I choose. Finally I can read for pleasure and not chapters of a text book. Reading can be done at all my favorite summer spots, a coffee shop, outside, in a big comfy chair looking out the window. I have a list of books I look forward to reading this summer.

6: Last but not least is sun screen! You cannot go through summer without sunscreen! Protecting your skin is a huge issue that many people look over, myself included. I now carry some in my purse for days I catch myself sitting outside. Having tattoos has helped me keep up on The sun screen, but I still have areas I sometimes look over. It is worth the investment to purchase face lotion and chap stick have have sun screen in them too.

So there are my 6 summer must haves!! What items can you not make it through summer without? Health is a big part of my list. Taking care of your body and mind will make summer that much more enjoyable!