This Guy Of Mine & Why We Say "YES"

We get to choose who we want to do life with. Choose wisely. #stanleylife #mcm

Everyday we love, everyday we say yes to life's daily invite, and everyday this is what our mornings look like. A simple peace sign and a "love you." Every. Day. But on mornings we seek adventure, sometimes this man says yes to the unknown (my brother thinks he's nuts to saying yes to my ideas and is not sure why he still continues to do so). But Ty is an example of what saying yes means...That's the beauty in it all. Sometimes they turn out as great ideas and other times we chalk it up as an experience. By saying yes, it takes us places and open up experiences it wouldn't have otherwise.

A few weekends ago it meant driving 7 hours in total to bike an ironman course up at Lake Stevens. We experienced lots of firsts...I was pooped on by a bird and running over tar was definitely not in the plan, which made for an interesting, sticky ride. Words like "this is do or die" came out of Ty's mouth and were a first when he walked down a driveway to rink out of someones hose (I was only partly embarrassed) and cramping so bad he had to walk, twice. Biking 56 miles on new, tough terrain was not only a first but the highlight (well, finishing was actually the highlight for Ty since he hasn't been training). But after it was all said and done (he did survive, although he would've convinced you death was near), he turns to me and said "that was fun." It's why we say yes....to adventures, to life, to each other.

Love does. Everyday. Always. Say yes. Live.

Love you everyday!

Three Favorites

All I have to say is cashew pepper dip, organic chorizo, and Humm kombucha. I want to scoop up the cashew dip and eat it by the spoonful. I don't, so instead I dip veggies in it. The chorizo, better believe that gets all mixed up in some of our fresh eggs, courtesy of the ladies in the backyard. If you don't care whether it's paleo or not, add some goat cheese and put your chorizo scrambled in a corn tortilla. You'll want 5 more and I'm not kidding. And please, always get two kinds of kombucha...they are good separate but it is also so refreshing as a mixed kombucha drink.

The dip is in a giant container at Costco, but what isn't in a large container at Costco.

The chorizo can be picked up at your local Natural Grocers in the freezer section and by no means 

is it a deal, but sometimes these things are worth the few extra bucks.
Humm kombucha is made in Bend, OR so if you're in the area stop by and try all the samples.
If you're not, they are sold as individuals containers at Winco or at the Felida Market and
Battleground market on tap. That way you can keep it on hand always in your growlers because you of course need two to be filled at a time, right?

3 things and that's all I've got for our favorites at the moment.
Enjoy!

♡The Stanleys

A Fear to Start, A Goal Accomplished...Half Ironman Training Update!

During my lifetime, I'd say that many athletic type things have come fairly naturally. This whole biking and swimming piece was not exactly one of them. I had no experience and of course, a fear of the whole freestyle swimming. The skills, the endurance, and the abilities were much more of a steep climb to get where I am now...let me take you into my world of the last 4 months....

Nearly 4 months ago I swam laps with my head above water. I would panic if my head was under water for too long while attempting to free style swim. I never wore goggles, a swim cap, or ear plugs. Take a moment to envision the chick that shows up to lap swim and never gets her hair wet and breast strokes with her head above water for her entire training session. Trust me, I contemplated whether or not it was even worth trying to learn to freestyle for months. But I also realized I'd be the only one in a large half Ironman event that wasn't actually swimming like the rest. All that went on until the beginning of March and then, through March, I managed to do several laps without having to stop. April came and went and believe it or not...this lady can freestyle like she's never done before. By no means am I breaking records on my speed but I'm breaking records on my endurance! And now, instead of being a fear or a place I'd panic in, the pool is my place of peace. I look forward to every one of my swim workouts. It's where I have no thoughts, no projects building up in my mind, and where I zone in on gliding through the the water. It's where my back feels healthy and I leave feeling oh so good!

4 months ago I had only done one bike ride longer than 5-10 miles. I had never worn clip-in bike shoes nor did I have any interest in wearing them. I owned no biking gear other than bike shorts (mind you it was winter when I started all this) and a helmet that may or may not be a little bit small for my head. On top of it all, I had never gotten my bike fitted to me. I've since been fitted and feel a million times better during my rides! I can now bike for hours and hours, I wear clip in bike shoes (which are now my friend even after that accident), and I still own nothing other than the shoes, the shorts (I got by with wearing leggings underneath the shorts and a light rain jacket to help keep me semi-dry on the wet rides), and the same helmet. I've decided to be a biking minimalist, if that's even such a thing. Plus I don't want to invest in anything else. I figure I've managed this far, I can manage the rest. Biking isn't as bad as I once thought it to be and I thoroughly enjoy the places it takes me. When was the last time you biked around Vancouver and Portland/Gresham and back, used biking for not just training purposes but to stop and visit with family, and realized the views can be even better on a bike than in a car?! All of the above has me hooked. If only I could gain some speed, I would be one happy camper!

the REAL necessities of biking...forget the rest of the stuff!

There she is!...

in her helmet and not "biking approved" jacket, but doin' it!

Sometimes I take photos of the scenery and sometimes of myself to send to Ty so he

has updates as to where I'm at in case something happens. It's a great selfie game ;-)

All these bike riding views...they suck me into actually bike riding!

And 4 months ago I was coming back from nearly 2 months off of full on Crossfit, running minimally, and exercising lightly. Thank goodness the running never leaves me or else I would've given up on all this training. It's one thing to only be able to do 1/3 events in the race, but if the running wasn't there I'd be shit out of luck from the get go. And let me tell you, it sounds like a terrible place to start. BUT, what I will say is that running becomes an entirely differently thing after a bike ride...and for that matter, it becomes a whole new ball game for me following swimming and then biking. It's been interesting, difficult at times, but a good challenge. I needed that in my running game.

to the time this caught me running so fast ;-)

I'll be completely honest though...there are two things that make this all a bit difficult. One, training solo. I spend a lot of time, like many hours, alone on a bike or running or swimming with seeing more animals (mainly roadkill) than people. I've never had so many thoughts and projects that go on in my head while accomplishing each part of the training...all of which leave my brain by the end of it all so it was almost not worth thinking while training. Being such a people person, having to be silent for hours nearly kills me! The other difficult part are the days I can barely drag myself out and about to get the training done. I once heard someone say, some days you have to go to that dark place and train in that dark place. I have a hard time going to a dark place to train, especially after I biked and ran by the mural in downtown Vancouver that paints pictures of various wars. I realize I have no idea what a dark place is like, especially something like war. When you put it all into perspective, this training is nothing in comparison to what many have done or where many have been. Plus, a brighter place sounds so much better to train in anyway.

The mural in Vancouver...

Do you realize how amazing our bodies are?! Whether it be through exercise, aging, childbirth, etc...it leaves me in awe, always. Our bodies have always been an interesting thing to me. Probably one of the many reason I love nursing, but also why I love challenging my body in so many ways...mentally, physically, emotionally. My body has gone from being in Crossfit shape and toned to this less toned, but run/bike/swim for hours ability. I like to think my body can do whatever I want it to, which I think gets me through most anything I put my mind to. My dad said the other night, "nobody in this room is as motivated and driven as you are." However, the mental and emotional side to it all gets to be more rough than anything else. I haven't quite figured how I manage to get this training in some days, but it must be the motivation and drive my dad talks about. Whatever it is, I like it and hope it sticks around for my lifetime!

For those of you interested, here's a what a week's worth of training may look like. I randomly found the training document online, didn't do much research on anything else, and have stuck to majority of it. Essentially you build up for three weeks (similar to below) before you get one week's worth of what they call "rest." Although, you find yourself still in the pool, on your bike, and running during the week of rest. (not complaining because I love those weeks!) And mind you, I rearrange the days depending on my work schedule, kid watching, and normal life events...somehow it does get done!

One Week Training Schedule Example

Mon: swim 1500 yards in AM, bike 25 miles PM

Tues: swim 2500 yards in AM, run 60 min PM

Wed: bike 40 miles

Thurs: swim 1750 yards in AM, run 50 min PM

Fri: bike 20 miles

Sat: run 100 min in AM, swim 1000 yards (optional)

Sun: bike 60 miles in AM, walk 75 min PM

*In addition, I try to lift one day and WOD twice a week.

So what began as my fear and having no experience in the pool or on a bike, it became my goal. I like to think I've accomplished the goal for the most part, but now it's time to keep up the mileage and get after an event in a few months. Here's to many more miles...on bike, on foot, and in water!

♥Cori

Seasons of Life, Seasons of Blogging

It feels good to be back. I almost feel like I should clasp my hands together, fold them away from my body, and give myself a nice big stretch before I tackle this blog. Maybe even a pat on the back for getting after it because it hasn't happened in a while. And only because it would be a semi-nerdy thing to do and more than anything, I could use the stretch before I get back into all this typing. Seriously though, it's been a long while. I've got no real reason to have been off the blogging world unless you want to count all the hours of early swims that make me spend more time than I ever have washing my hair (and showering for that matter), 3-4 hour bike rides that take professionals like an hour to do, a few long runs that take longer than they should because of all the bathroom stops I have to make, playing with our free range lady-birds, trying to work on that green thumb in the garden, making up lame excuses to stay up late and spend time with family and friends, soaking up the last of our days as just us two until we get that phone call for a referral, and just possibly working on my persuasion skills (I'm trying to talk Ty into getting a couple ducks and a mini pig to add to the backyard...so far it hasn't worked). There isn't a day mixed in all of that that I would change. The one thing I would change is the number of hours in a day. So if that ever becomes possible, I'll be the first to ask and possibly beg for it with no shame.

On another note, I got to thinking that I use to blog like every day. Every. Single. Freaking. Day. Not kidding. How I did that...no clue. Lots of late nights, long hours of typing and editing (to a certain extent), weird persistence, and a driving need to do so. Then I slowly smartened up. I realized I was getting old and needed more sleep, that my eyes could use less computer time because they seemed like they were going bad, and I no longer felt that need for speed...aka blogging, which I imagine is nothing like speed. Although, I'd have no idea. I also realized that my blog isn't a money making blog, few people follow, and there wasn't a single soul out there making me do so. 

So I've decided the blog has its seasons...just like the seasons of our life. Since the Stanley life began, you've all been a part of those seasons: wedding festivities, travel/adventures, marriage, our niece and nephew date days, recipe making, DIY projects, home buying, the adoption process, day to day living, and now some blank pages between blogs. Those blanks tend to mean a busy time in life or a lack of interest in putting the effort into blogging. There's been a time, a place, a purpose, etc. to capture our life, our adventures, our story. Those will still remain, but the blogging will come and go as time allows, the motivation is there, and the need to capture it for ourselves is around. Otherwise, Instagram has made my blogging life way too easy so you can always follow there. Nothing like a quick pic, a little blurb, and a touch of the screen to post. Blogging made simple, really. It's been a life saver...Ok fine, maybe just a time saver. Same thing though, right?

So the blog isn't going away. In fact, I never want it to go away. There's nothing like looking back over the years to see where we were, where we've been, where we're headed and all else we've done in between. But what it will be is a place we may throw a lot at you in a weeks time (whether it be adoption related, food ideas, a little inspiration, or a moment of sharing just our life) or maybe it will leave you wondering where we are. And if it's anything to you, we're either out training, working on house projects, soaking up adventures, with our family, or maybe just eating some ice cream because we do that from time to time. It's a simple life and it's a good way to keep it. Here's to the old life of daily blogging and the new life of blogging whenever I decide. 

#seasonsoflife #seasonsofblogging

PS...this is what blogging life has been looking like as of late.

The ladies threw in their two sense about some blog posts...I'm going to include one of them.

♥The Stanleys

What's Growin' On?

I thought I'd come up with something funny to say or a story that's happened recently, but I apparently couldn't. So instead, we'll just get right to it. Plus I'll spare you another story and your time today.
Fair enough?

Ok, so last year was our first real garden. It was legit, the raised beds and all. I even had the ladder garden my brother made me years ago that sprouted a few things but unfortunately all the squirrels or maybe the rats ate up before we ever got to pick them. Pretty cool on the ladder garden, not as cool about the animals stealing our food. So that was a bummer. And then there were some things that just failed in the garden. Most likely it was because I had no idea what I was really doing. But this year, I'm coming in hot. I've been doing my research in the off season, planning out the garden area for us and around the chicken coop for our ladies. With the help of the resources I've provided below, I feel like I could be a farmer with all the knowledge I've tucked away in my brain. Soon enough the time will be here to start the planting! I'm giddy thinking about it. Weird.

This is what we've got up our sleeves for the upcoming season. We like to call it our "theme season"....each raised bed has it's theme and each theme has it's purpose for what suits our likings. I'd like to thank the Pinterest search bar for the assistance in finding all the new knowledge I now have and of course, the specifics of each raised bed planting. If this gives you any motivation to get your search on, your planting prep complete, and then the planting itself done...then I achieved my goal. So have it folks, be ready when the time comes!

Raised Bed 1: The Salsa Garden
Cilantro
Red Onions
White Onions
Jalapenos
Red Peppers
Tomatoes or Tomatillos

Raised Bed 2: The Grilling Garden
Eggplant
Summer Squash
Cherry Tomatoes
Bell Pepper
Onions

Raised Bed 3: Simple Summer Garden
Low Growing Herbs (we've chosen mint, parsley, onion chives)
Tall Growing Herbs (we've chosen stevia, rosemary, & basil)
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Peppers or Tomatoes

Raised Bed 4: The Not-So Themed, Random Garden
(because items we want to try growing weren't in the beds above, so they all go in this one)
Green Beans
Snap Peas
Melon
Spinach

Long Raised Beds 5 & 6:
we plan on continuing the raspberries and blueberries in hopes the blueberries come in
this year! We've got a lemonade blueberry we're looking forward to!

Pots:
Plant some flowers around your garden to bring in more color...little pots or jars work well.
Or throw in more veggies in fun containers of all sorts to get more out of the garden this year.



Even an old chair and window can bring some details to your garden area.
Endless options!





Details & Resources
My favorite tools & links can be found below. SO much info, so easy to read, and nearly dummy proof. Right up my alley. Keeps life simple, saves my time, & makes gardening that much easier! Obviously, I don't turn them away.

The Old Farmer's Almanac
Bonnie's Plants
Kitchen Garden Planner from Gardener's Supply Company
(drag and drop your ideas into a plan & it will tell you how many to plant per square foot and
the details for caring for each seed you sow...I'm partly obsessed!)

Soon enough I'll get around to blogging our plans for near and around the chicken coop to make
happy and healthy egg-laying ladies for all you chicken fans!
In the meantime, happy garden planning!

♥T&C

Your Tuesday Meal: The St. Patty's Day Paleo Menu

Breakfast. I love that word. I also love all the food that comes with it. Then again, I love lunch and dinner too because those also entail food. But nothing compares to a big yummy breakfast that fills you for what seems like days. Growing up my dad made legit breakfasts...not like just here and there. More like we had them all the time. If you wanted cheesy eggs, toast, waffles, etc. he was all over it. To this day, that guy will get up every morning and make his gluten free pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and who knows...maybe even serve himself a bowl of gluten free cereal shortly after. We clearly didn't mess around with letting ourselves go hungry in the mornings. I think they say breakfast is the most important meal and we made sure to live up the "importance."

So what am I currently....still stuffed from 8:30 this morning. Yes, it's 3pm and I probably didn't need to have that little snack a bit ago because why would if I'm not hungry? I did it anyway though.. I was seriously so uncomfortable in the church pews this morning after our Sunday Stanley meal (usually it's dinner, but today we mixed it up). I felt like my belly wouldn't allow me to sit up straight, yet it wouldn't let me lean forward because the food baby had no place to go. Sometimes I don't know when to stop, so I pay the price and that's ok. I'll say I'll learn one of these days, but it's yet to happen. So I'll say it again...one day I'll learn to not stuff myself....we'll see what happens.

Anyway, we bribed the family with 

1) food, 

2) coffee, and 

3) a fire...

they fell for it and all showed up this morning for a St. Patty's day themed breakfast. We only followed through with the first two because we ran out of time to make the fire before we all headed off for church. Good thing they love food and drinks as much as we do. Although I doubt they would've turned us down or so I like to think that. But if I could ever get to the point, I'd tell you what we ate and what you all need to make for either breakfast or dinner on Tuesday. So on that note, I must or else who knows what I'll come up with to tell you.

♣St. Patrick's Day Paleo Menu♣

Corned Beef Sweet Potato Hash

Irish Soda Bread

Green Smoothie

Fruit Cups

Cucumber Mint Water

Coffee

The Details...

Corned Beef Sweet Potato Hash

serves 4 

(otherwise double the recipe)

1.5-2lbs corned beef (precooked, uncured, nitrate free at Trader Joe's!)

6 eggs

4 sweet potatoes or yams, mini cubes

1 monster onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

5 dashes of thyme

dash of salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

Just like our Easy E Skillet, but with corned beef instead of ham and add onion. And just like the Easy E, it's easy. So heat your oil on a pan and add the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, and onions. Stir occasionally. Put the oven on broil. While those are cooking, microwave the corned beef as directed. Once the meat is done, shred it and put it in with your mostly cooked veggies. Add the spices and cook until potatoes are soft. Make little wells and crack your eggs into each well. Let them fry for 1 minute or less, poke each one once or twice with a fork, then add your entire pan to the oven. Cook until the eggs are cooked through or just barely runny (to your liking).

 And don't forget to grab yourself some of  TJ's sauerkraut and Dijon mustard...both of which were never a part of my diet until today. People change and I just made some adjustments to add this in my life.

Irish Soda Bread

I know nothing about irish soda bread to be honest. Never had it, even when I was in Ireland. But what I now know about it in this version...it takes the gold. Don't waste your time with any gluten free  version...go straight paleo on this one!

Green Smoothies

(makes approx. 4 smoothies)

3 medium bananas, frozen and chopped

3 C fresh spinach

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder OR 2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 drop of peppermint extract (DO NOT overdo it, trust me)

1 C unsweetened almond milk (add more if it needs more liquid)

1-2 tbsp caco nibs or dark chocolate chips, optional

7-8 ice cubes

fun straws for good measure

Place all ingredients into your blender and give it a go. Add more liquid if need be, toss another banana or spinach in if you want to thicken it a bit, or add more chocolate if you want it extra chocolaty.

Mini Fruit Cups

(serves 4)

4 kiwis, peeled & each cut into 4 slices

blackberries

No brains necessary here. Serve your sliced kiwis in a mini serving dish, place a blackberry in the center and if you have room add more. Otherwise serve some blackberries in a separate bowl.

Cucumber Mint Water

1 water pitcher

6-8 mint leaves

half an English cucumber, cut into slices

ice

Again, no brains necessary but I highly suggest doing it the night before or the morning of because the flavor comes out after it's been sitting in the water for longer than a few minutes. Funny how that works, right? Put your water in your pitcher, add your ingredients, and boom you have flavored water. Stupid easy.

How We Make It

Can I just tell you how every time I go biking, something never seems to be right. I already hated biking alone and better yet, it's lame to go on a bike ride with someone else. Because I can't hear the person when they're biking in front or behind me. So really, there's no point in trying to have a conversation or for that matter, invite someone to go on a bike ride. Maybe if I was biking somewhere where there were no cars and only nature noises, but that has yet to happen. Let's just say I won't be inviting you on a bike ride anytime soon. And don't let me forget to mention...biking forever on this training schedule is just biking forever (imagine my voice and my eyes possibly rolling because of how stupid it is sometimes). When you realize you left when your husband did for work and you don't return home until you realize he's already halfway through his work day....that's forever in my mind. Doing it solo gives me way too much time to think and way too much time to realize I could've gotten like 5 other things accomplished instead of one bike ride. But I'm done complaining because soon enough I'll be back out on the bike again and you can all just think of me, but nothing else.

Needless to say, between all this training, Ty's basketball schedule, all the adoption pieces for the last two months, our regular work schedules, and everything else thrown in the mix it seems like our time to cook and prep meals dwindled. Obviously while I am biking or running, grocery shopping and dinner making is not happenin'. I just wish it was possible to multitask like that.

I'll be honest...there's been a few times we've hit the downtown streets of Vancouver for a good gluten free meal instead of sticking to our paleo guns. We aren't perfect and although we do a lot of paleo, there comes times we splurge too. It's ok. That's what makes these outings special for one, and two, there's no reason to restrict when there's food out there to be tried. But what we have been making to get by are these go-to meals and snacks...

Breakfast

PaleOMG waffles

Stupid Easy pancakes 

(mash 4-5 bananas, 3 eggs, splash of vanilla, two heaping scoops of almond butter, & sometimes we add blueberries; mix & add to a hot coconut oiled pan)

Big Ol' Scrambles

(hen house eggs, kale, mushrooms, & sausage)

Make as much as you wish. We never make more than two days worth, but you can do what you want.

Bacon, Of Course

(costco sells nitrate free bacon and totally worth it!)

Place foil on a large cookie sheet & place all your bacon strips side by side on the sheet.

Turn your oven on and set for 400 degrees. Toss in your cookie sheet and check every so often

on your bacon strips, pull them out once they are to your liking (we are crispy fans around here so we tend to cook them until crisped up!)

Berry Bowls

Buy all sorts of berries, cut them as needed, mix together in a bowl, and cover. Serve small servings with any of the above or take it to go if you're in a rush.

Tip: double all the recipes (except the scrambles), package half for the week and the other half to freeze. Place your bacon in an air tight container and put in the fridge. All of the above are super easy to grab, heat up, and go if you're on the run. Mix and match the item above as you so wish. Otherwise, sit and enjoy with a small bowl of fruit!

Snacks
Sweet 'Tater Chips & Tuna
Make your tater chips or buy a bag of the tasty sea salted chips. Whip up a big batch of tuna,
place in an air tight container, and you will be ready to go on a whim for a take along snack.

Cashew Cream with Veggies & Plantains for Dipping
use the cashew cream link above for the basic recipe. We like to add garlic & onion powder,
dash of salt, dash of pepper, a splash of lemon juice, artichoke hearts, & sometimes a pinch of cayenne. Blend up and you're all set to go for the week!

Primal Plate
Salami, variety of olives, handful of nuts, slices of cheese, & a coconut water.
No cooking, baking, or prepping necessary.

Lunch/Dinner

Season to your liking...ground bison, turkey, or beef (2-4lbs will get you through several meals).

Sauteed brussels, ginger carrots, and a side of plantain chips. 

A few splashes of hot sauce and boom, you're done.

Easy Peasy Cashew Cream Chicken & Broccoli

Make the cashew cream above, season with some garlic salt, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Saute 3-4 cubed up chicken breasts for a few minutes on each side. Add 1 head of broccoli (broken off from the stems into small florets). Saute until cooked through. Add the cashew cream.

Serve with some fruit and call it a night (use the leftovers for lunch).

Moroccan Meatballs

my all time fav right now, especially with the ground lamb. My mouth is watering because I am about to eat some when I finish this blog post and my swim and run this morning (side note, sorry). It makes enough for three meals for us (dinner, lunch, dinner). Serve with some spaghetti squash and you've got a nice little combo to boot. Def add the pistachios as the recipe calls. Don't even hesitate. And if you're so up to it, double the recipe and you'll be set for days!

Feel free to add any fruit salad, green salad with a strawberry vinaigrette dressing, or saute some fresh kale with garlic to add as sides.

Dessert
These "paleo friendly" bars. Because when you don't want to bake, boom there you have them!
(cinnamon raisin was a fav around here)


Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Click the link for the recipe. It can be found at the bottom of the blog post.

The Not-So-Paleo, Live a Little, Go Big, Because We All Deserve It Dessert
aka Ice Cream Renaissance in Vancouver, otherwise do it big at Salt & Straw in Portland!
(if you can't stray too far from your paleo side, they have coconut milk ice cream
options. The coffee chip is one of my favs right now!)

So there you have it. Our quick go-tos as of late. It's gotten us by during the busy times and as I said before, we've hit the streets of Vancouver lookin' for the next hot gluten free meal when we've left ourselves stranded for the next meal. Gluten free pizza from Garlic Jims gets a double thumbs up,
Mon Ami gluten free crepes and almond milk latte get five stars, Mint Tea on the weekends for brunch is out of this world, and our most enjoyed go to is Woody's. Who said Vancouver was short handed?

Happy Friday folks...enjoy this lovely weather that is about to happen!

♥The Stanleys