On the road AGAIN.......

I woke up this morning to Dev humming the song "On the road again" which exactly explains our life completely. I am sad to announce that we will be leaving Florida and moving back to Canada in December. I have grown to love Florida, the weather, lifestyle, people and experiences we have had. I will miss waking up every morning to beautiful weather, riding my bicycle with Dev, going to the beach, the pond in our backyard, the ducks, couponing, the lizards, our little home and so much more. Dev and I have grown to love the independent life we have, especially the amount of time we have together.

This decision was made because upon moving to Calgary Dev will be able to finish his pre requisites (for a lot less money) while being able to make money working part time. This also means Dev will start Chiropractic school September 2012 instead of March 2013 if we were to stay in Florida. We will be moving to California in September 2012 where he will either attend Palmer Chiropractic in San Jose or Life Chiropractic in San Francisco.

As much as this decision will make things go by quicker it's hard for me not to feel like we are taking a step backwards. I feel everytime I am starting to feel settled in a new city or way of life we move. I am comforted with the knowledge that when Dev starts Chiropractic School we won't be going anywhere for three years! I guess this is what marriage is compromise and flexibility. I told Dev when he first approached me with the idea of moving away for school that I would always support him as he pursues his dream and will continue to. Calgary is a bitter sweet place for me, I love that our families are there but I've been so much happier and healthier since we left. I hope I can create better memories in Calgary and truly enjoy my time there.

Chels

Falling into place...

Falls has turned out to be quite beautiful in Florida with the added bonus of it cooling down a bit! Dev and I have been busy with cleaning houses, working out, school (him) and being pregnant (me). We had another ultrasound last week and little Lyons looks great, the ultrasound tech said she has my nose! I finally picked out her crib, dresser, change table and mattress and waiting for it to be delivered, it's going to be AMAZING!! My parents graciously paid for it, they've been an amazing help...WE LOVE YOU GUYS!! I will post pics when it's all set up! We also completed our registry at Babies R Us that was so much fun, the only thing Dev scanned was a pair of basketball shoes.... that's why I love him! Maui had her operation a week ago she got spayed and 13 teeth removed... she's a champion and recovering perfectly! Tinky hissed at her for like five days after she came back, she was confused and they fought a couple times :(

Here's some pics for your enjoyment!!
                                         Dev as a firefighter

                  We had a .99 cent budget for each so not too bad!!

                                          Myself as a police officer


                                          At the Trunk or Treat

Summer and Fall pictures!!

I thought I would share some long overdue pictures from our summer in Canada and us now in Florida.

                                     Fishing in Prince Edward Island

                                       


             Sharing a bunk with Bethany, Strater on the ferry to Newfoundland

                                          Hiking in Newfoundland

                                              17 weeks pregnant

       

                                      painting our living room

                                               21 weeks pregnant

                               Our bike trip to the beach

Lately

We are finally settled into our new home in Florida and really like it! Who wouldn't love the sun shinning everyday and being minutes from the beach so ya it's pretty much paradise. Dev and I have been swimming together almost everyday and we love it! I'm very proud that i'm 5 months pregnant and can beat my athlete of a husband when we race. More importantly swimming gets me out of the house, energizes me and releases stress. Since moving to Florida our already tight budget was cut in half again so now it's impossible to survive on it so Dev and I are trying to find part time jobs to supplement some income. Some of the jobs we have posted on cragslist are "couple house cleaners" but our major competition is "two firefighter house cleaners". Life coaching which was interpreted as language tutor so now i'll be teacher a 14 year old boy English... maybe I need to teach his father too.. Dev posted a "handyman"add and got a response for this Friday so we'll see how his experience is. I also applied to be a foot model since I think I have cute feet! Anyways, yesterday I was sharing my craigslist experiences with my parents and they decided they are going to to help us out a little so when i'm too pregnant to move i'm not cleaning all the houses on the block...just a few! Pray for us that the craigslist blessings will come our way!

Chels

Ground turkey lettuce wraps

These lettuce wraps are so delicious! I was craving the lettuce wraps I used to get at Joey Tomatoes but wanted a healthier version. These are very versatile, feel free to experiment with whatever veggies you like.

Ground turkey lettuce wraps

 

1 head of lettuce (iceberg)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 pound of ground turkey
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 zucchini
1 cup mushrooms
1 can of water chestnuts
pinch of salt

Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp palm sugar
4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1.5 tsp chili sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 lime juice

Toppings
2 scallions
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts chopped
1/2 cup rice noodles fried in coconut oil until puffed up

Directions
In a medium pan saute salted onions for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add chopped peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic for five minutes. Set vegetables aside. Cook ground turkey until done and add to vegetable mixture along with water chestnuts. Mix ingredients for sauce and add to the mixture. Cook until heated.

Put it lettuce cups and top with garnishes. Deliciousness! 

Gluten Free Banana Bread

I thought I would post this scrumptious GF banana bread recipe since it's truly delicious. It's so good that Dev and I almost ate a whole loaf tonight. I made one side with chocolate chips and the other without and both were equally as good.




GF banana bread recipe

6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup palm sugar or cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas (3 large bananas)
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease loaf pan. Melt butter on low heat and set aside.

Sift the four GF flours into a large bowl. Stir in the xanthan gum, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir all together.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla.Stir until just combined.

Slowly sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the greased pan. Smooth the pan.

Bake about 45-50 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and knife slides out of the bread clean.

Home sweet home!

We arrived in Florida on Saturday evening exhausted but excited to get settled and ready for the year to come. The original hotel we had lined up didn't fan out so we looked at a few "sketchy" but cheap motel and chose the nicest out of the group. We grabbed some groceries and had a quick dinner and went to bed. We woke up late Sunday and started our quest to find a place. We didn't have a lot of luck on Sunday, we did see one house Devon really liked it because it had a grapefruit tree in the back but the inside wasn't very nice. Monday we focused our attention more on condo complexes since the idea of a gym and pool is very appealing to Dev! We found a great condo and went back to fill out the paperwork but then the agent informed us he made a mistake and it was already rented out... I was so sad but I know it was probably meant to be. We looked a a few others that weren't as nice and a house that looked like the color brown threw up all over it ( Florida people love brown carpets). We came home made some spaghetti sauce in the Vitamix and meatballs and searched for more places to look at on Tuesday. We also are planning on putting together a 72 hour kit since a hurricane might be coming our way...

Chels

Expectations!!

The first night Dev and I arrived in Florida we also discovered that i'm PREGNANT! We are both so excited for this blessing in our life! I'm currently 14 weeks 3 days or 3.5 months. My pregnancy has been good thus far, I haven't had any morning sickness just tiredness from all the overtime it's putting in making our little baby!

Baby Lyons is due February 10, 2012.

Maui's Accident

My precious little girl had a bad accident yesterday..... I was walking to the store and I had her in her carrier because it's too long of a walk for her both ways. I was walking down a side street and a semi drove by and honked which scared Maui, she jumped out of her carrier onto the cement ground. She landed on the ground and screamed for like 20 seconds (which I now thought she was dying).I was holding her and felt something on my hand and looked and saw I had a bunch of blood from her mouth. After examining her mouth I discovered she must have banged her mouth on the ground and she lost a tooth... I don't know who was more traumatized or cried more but I do know I love my little doggy more than I can ever express.

Chels

Newfoundland!

Life has been busy for us this past week we finally made it to Newfoundland!! It was an extremely long day that started at 4:15am which included a seven hour drive to the ferry which was located in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The ferry ride took six hours so we shared a cabin with Redmond and Beth which always makes for a good time! After the ferry we drove three hours to Stephenville Newfoundland where we have been for a week. Since there isn't a church nearby on Sunday the team went for a hike on a beautiful trail that hugs the shoreline. We brought Maui and she loved it she went swimming in the ocean, exploring in the cave and is getting really good at walking without a leash on (until she saw a rabbit). When our husbands are working Shakeh, Beth and I try to fill our day with activities like grocery shopping, yoga, working out, cooking and keeping up with "The Bachelorette"! As much as I can't wait to get back to Florida, I will truly miss seeing them everyday and the close relationships I've been blessed with. Our group has gotten a lot closer this week because instead of having kitchens in our rooms we share the hotel's main kitchen.... yes there has been a lot of kitchen drama lol, but at the end of the day that's where some of the best memories are created!

Chels

Tomato Coconut Bisque

Lately I've been experiencing some weird craving which isn't new for me since a day doesn't go by that I don't crave something! The other night I was thinking about what to make for dinner and all i wanted was Tomato Soup. Now as you might already know I love cooking too much to just open a can of soup and call it a night so I decided I was going to make a Tomato Bisque. 

The difference between Cream of Tomato soup and Tomato Bisque is that bisque's are thicker. Since I don't eat dairy or gluten I needed to figure out a way to thicken the soup without cream and flour. I decided to try one of my favorite ingredients in the world, Coconut Milk! The results were amazing and the coconut gives it a silky textured bisque that is packed full of healthy goodness!!

Tomato Coconut Bisque

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup leeks chopped

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

1 can organic whole tomatoes 

1 can  organic tomato paste

1 can  organic coconut milk 

1 small sweet potato cooked and peeled

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp basil

parsley for garnish 

On medium heat saute leeks in the coconut oil until softened, add garlic half way through. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut milk and heat until warm. Pour tomato mixture into the Vitamix and add the sweet potato and rice and blend on high for 30 seconds. Transfer back to pot and add the spices and cook until well heated. If you find it's too thick you can add a 1/4- 1/2 cup of vegetable stock or water.

Enjoy!

Chels

A dream on wheels

I've decided to write a little bit about one of my life goals I have. I love cooking, I do enjoy the whole process of cooking in the kitchen I find it quite therapeutic but essentially the part I cherish is when I cook something for someone and the expression on their face after tasting something they love. Dev fuels that fire on a daily basis because he never fails to compliment the food I make big or small. Since I love cooking and baking so much but wouldn't want to work in a restaurant I've decided that I want to own my own FOOD TRUCK!! It's the greatest thing, you get to cook delicious food for people but you can go where you want, run your own schedule and serve whatever inspires you that day!  I'll have to continue working on Dev and the city of choice we decide to live in when he's done school because I would just gain a lot more inspiration in a city where it's warm, sunny and full of culture!

Chels

On the road again....

Dev and I decided a few months ago that a great way for us to make some money while Dev is in school would be to sell alarms for a couple months in the summer. Now when I say us I mean Dev, I couldn't handle having doors slammed in my face and people being rude to me all day long! My plan was to work at a random job since we were going to Prince Edward Island in Canada. When we arrived to PEI we first stayed in Charlottetown which is the biggest city in PEI. We were in a great location close to grocery stores and even a winners! Location is extremely important since I don't have a vehicle to drive while we are here. I bought a pull cart from superstore to put my groceries in and has been the best 15 dollars I've ever spent!! We found out quickly that I wouldn't be able to work since we aren't in the same location for longer than a couple weeks, I was really disappointed since I go stir crazy during the day. After a week we moved 45 minutes away to a town called Summerside. Summerside is beautiful because it is on the ocean but location has been difficult. The closest grocery store is 5 km each way walking on the side of a busy highway with no sidewalks! I do enjoy the walk most days it gives me a chance to listen to music or pray but when all you need is one ingredient for dinner it's a pain! We do have a swimming pool here so i'm going to buy some goggles today so I can swim some laps!

Chels

Product tester

When I was young one of my friends dad worked for the main company that manufactures McCain, Minute maid, Pepsi etc so they always had a basement full of free food they had to test out. I honestly that it was the most amazing thing ever!! I think that is one of the reasons I love couponing so much, free always tastes better! So when we were living in Iowa I signed up for a survey company that provides an opportunity for product testing. I was so excited when they sent me a product in the mail for me to test! It was hair mousse which was awesome because I love hair stuff but isn't in the budget to buy. The first day I used it my hair felt softer, thicker and had volume! I was so pleased that I scored it for free and I loved it! After a few days of using it I started to notice when I was washing my hair that it still felt greasy but blamed it on the shampoo since I was using whatever the hotel supplied. It progressed to the point that I actually had to use dish soap to get rid of the horrible buildup that plagued my hair! I guess I didn't really think there was a downside to the secret society of product testing but am still pumped for future experiences!  

The road less traveled..... repost from May since I mistakenly deleted it!

When we first moved here I remember I would go longer than a week without smiling or laughing. I felt like I had no purpose, no motivation to wake up in the morning. I wondered how I was going to survive this miserable place I was to now call home. I knew it was going to be an adjustment since i'm not the type of individual who is okay or enjoys just staying at home. For the past 6 years I dedicated myself to helping people struggling with addictions, self harm and mental health issues. It's no surprise I choose a career where I felt needed but challenged me mentally on a daily basis. Moving to Davenport has given me the opportunity to work on creating happiness internally instead of depending on external factors such as jobs, friends, shopping. Moving removed all of my distractions that I think a lot of people fill their lives with to try to create happiness. I feel I have changed as a person, I feel more AUTHENTIC. When you look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs I feel i'm working out of esteem needs and into self actualization. I feel it's so important to embrace your short comings instead of trying to appear PERFECT. Really who is perfect? I know a lot of people who live their lives in the image of others or work so hard to appear everything about their life, family, home is perfect perfect. My blog will not be one of those because i'm not perfect and I don't have it all together! Yes i'm talented at cooking and can create wonderful dishes, but I can't keep a clean house to save my life! I can now say that I like living in Davenport....not love... like.... Before we moved Dev and I had a great marriage( I know i'm bias)  we were so in love and so dedicated to each other. Living here has made us closer then ever imagined and I love it! I'm so proud of Devon he works so hard at school, his dedication and drive is admirable. Dev is in the top two in all his classes but shh I never told you! He doesn't get the recognition or praise he deserves by some people in his life, but I make sure I try to tell him often as possible how proud I am of him following his dreams and going against the grain. I enjoy spending so much time with the love of my life and my best friend, we take Maui for a walk everyday, make delicious dinners together and just try to help each other out as much a possible. I wake up most days happy and embrace each day for what it may bring, and am great-full for Dev, my family and the blessings that my faith brings me.  

The Gypsy Life....

My mom calls Dev and I Gypsies because we are constantly moving our little family all over the place! Now if you don't already know I have a munchkin cat named Tinkerbelle and a little bitty Yorkie named Maui. Moving around with those two can be a challenge because Tinky loathes her kennel and Maui has separation anxiety and finds it appropriate to bark anytime myself or Dev leave the hotel room.

 These past couple months have been a little crazy! We went to Calgary for my sister in-laws wedding then stayed an extra week and hung out with my family while Dev went back to Iowa for school. I arrived back in Iowa on late Sunday evening and we packed up a Uhaul and left on Wednesday  to our new home in Florida! We spend 5 days in Florida looking at places to rent and getting to know Port Orange. We put all of our belongings in storage and flew to Prince Edward Island for the summer so Dev could work selling alarms for the summer. Generally when you sell alarms you would stay in the same area so the company rents furnished places for you live in but, PEI is a small island we move every few weeks so we get to live in hotels. Dev enjoys it because he gets a free delicious continental breakfast every morning but it has definetly taken "living like gypsies" to the next level! As inconvenient and difficult it can be not having a car or any of your stuff, it's been worth every minute because i've met a really great friend and enjoy the adventures new places present. We are in Summerside PEI right now and it's so pretty since it's on the ocean.

I am going to make a goal to try to post daily about our adventures big or small!

Chels

Couponing

I love couponing.... there is nothing more exciting than getting things for free! Since Dev and I made the decision to move away so he could go to Chiropractic school i've definitely had to take my couponing to another level since we don't have a regular income coming in. The difference between me and the "extreme couponers"  is that I only buy unprocessed, organic food and chemical free household items. That in itself is a huge challenge since 95% of coupons are for things that are "Taboo" in the Lyons household. Last weekend I took full advantage of our trip to Chicago and stopped at my FAVORITE grocery store Whole Foods! I love the fact that they only supply the highest quality of products, mostly organic and from trustworthy companies. Here's the breakdown of our fabulous saving....

Total: $181.49
Total savings with coupons: 102.00

TOTAL AFTER SAVING: 79.49

Here's some pictures of the stuff we got for free!!

Chelsealaine's favorite things

Things that make my heart skip an extra beat....

Vitamix .... the holy grail of blenders



Book of Mormon.... my saving grace


tempur-pedic bed...... The most amazing sleep you'll ever have




Tom shoes



So delicious coconut milk.... the options are endless!



Zevia soda..... soda make with stevia sweetener and none of the bad stuff... coke is taboo in our house



Coconut oil.... I use it in all my cooking and baking, as my face moisturizer, hand cream... healthiest oil in the world!


Vanilla bean paste.... I use it in everything from smoothies to sweet potatoes

 
Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chip.... delicious and DAIRY free!!



I hope you can fall in love with one of my favorite things!

Chels

Happy Easter!!

The easter bunny was good to my little family this year, he's so smart he found us at our new home!

Dev's basket

Chels' basket

Maui's bone which she rejected

Tinkerbelle and her new catnip ball!!

Little inspirations!!

I was at a craft store the other day and a lady who was in her late 80's was telling her friend that she finally completed her craft room.... 62 years after starting.... she went on to say that her husband better learn to cook and clean because she's dedicating the last years of her life to sewing!! It made me think of the things I always put off for a later day when we have the money, space or time and how wrong that is! What is life if you're not doing things that excite and bring joy to your life?  So I started small and have started drawing again and when the rain finally stops i'll start horse riding lessons.

Of course everything can be compared to cooking, so with that story in mind I've been having a difficult time trying to make praise worthy gluten free bread. I don't want to be overheard in William and Sonoma when i'm 88 yrs old telling my friend I've finally mastered gluten free bread! So I got busy and after many many attempts produced my first delicious gluten free bread..

This bread has a light texture, it tastes like "homemade white bread". It's not the most attractive, but it tastes heavenly!

Gluten Free white bread recipe

4 tbsp butter (or ghee) softened
1/4 cup raw cane sugar (or palm sugar)
1 tsp maple syrup
5 egg whites
1 cup plain yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
1 1/4 cups potato starch
3/4 cup millet flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

*Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a medium sized loaf pan.

*Cream the butter, sugar and maple syrup together in a medium sized bowl or in a stand up mixer with whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and beat until frothy. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients along with apple cider vinegar. Gently place the dough in the prepared pan and smooth the top.

*Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

An Avocado is a perfect food in itself. It's a powerhouse full of nutrients and healthy fats. Avocado's have 60% more potassium then banana's and are also a rich source of vitamin B and E. A study was conducted that had individuals eat a seven day diet rich in avocados and resulted in a 17% reduction in cholesterol. You can boost your fat burning metabolism by eating avocados because they contain L-carnitine. L-Carnitine is an amino acid which occurs naturally in body, Its primary purpose is to help the body metabolize fat and promote fat loss.

Avocado's are a "fast food" in our house, if I need a light meal or snack i'll grab one on my way out for a satisfying pick-me up. Since I try to incorporate avocados in creative ways I was playing around one night and made a delicious dessert with avocados!!

 Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe

1 ripe avocado 

1/8 cup coconut or almond milk

2 Tbsp agave nectar

2 Tbsp coconut oil

3-4 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure hazelnut extract (optional)

pinch of sea salt

Combine ingredients and blend using an immersion blender, processor or regular blender. Add more coconut milk if too thick. I find it depends on the size of the avocado and ripeness, I sometimes add a little more agave nectar and cocoa powder. Can be eaten immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator.

For the love Bread

After doing a saliva, hair and GI test the specialist met with Dev and I and went over the results. I could handle the fact I had an undiagnosed parasite for the past 2.5 years  from going to Mexico for my honeymoon, but my heart fell when she told me I tested positive for gluten intolerance.... In life rarely do things give me as much pleasure as a warm crispy baguette smeared with ghee or dipped in fruity olive oil and tangy balsamic vinegar. But now my life will have a void that I will long to fill. I'm not a vain person but I know I am a talented cook and baker, but now I have to begin from scratch because the true test will be if I can master the art of gluten free cooking and the dreaded baking!,
Chels

The weekend recap

Devon and I had a really good weekend..... well the best you can have when you're on antibiotics that make you severely nauseous 24/7 ... I can now talk about it because I have one pill left and i'm excited to resume my normal life after 10 days of misery. This weekend was Conference and it was amazing, so motivational. It was the first time Dev was able to watch all five sessions since we've been married ( he always worked on Saturdays). We also took Maui on some fun walks and watched a ton of movies. The weather was amazing yesterday it was like 28 degrees and SO humid I don't think we shut our balcony door once this weekend. I also bought my first plant of the year a tulip plant...maybe living in a new climate will help my track record of killing all plants.. i'll keep you posted. For being so sick I ended up still making two really good dinners, cedar plank maple salmon and herb crusted roast beef. It taught me a good lesson that sometimes less is more in term of ingredients. I generally use a lot more ingredients when making my salmon but both Dev and I couldn't stop eating it. I also made Ghee (a.k.a clarified butter) and am converted for life! I made it because I can't eat dairy but have refused to let go the most amazing substance in the world.... butter... but it doesn't love me back and margarine is taboo in my world. If you haven't made Ghee you must it's nothing like store bought. If you have a lactose/dairy intolerance this is your dream come true! I will start posting recipes soon so you can enjoy some of my delicious creations!
chels  

I made a promise to myself when we first moved away that I would create a blog so I could have a place where all the many aspects of my life could come together! This blog will give you a glimpse into our new life in Iowa, my creations in the kitchen, living frugal and much more!
Hope you enjoy
chels