You're gonna want to make this. Trust me.

I found this recipe in Paula Deen's book The Lady & Sons. It's called Sweet Potato Bake. To tell you how good it is, you must first know that my brother HATES sweet potatoes. Loathes them is a better way to put it. I forced him to try a bite (much to his original dismay) and not only did he go back for more (with a sheepish grin), he ate a second huge helping and took some home also.

It's "slap yo mama" good...

PS if you want a lighter version of this recipe, click here.

I need to find a church

I was raised on the inside of a church. My second family was our church family. I went to Christian school K-5 to 12th grade. Religion was my life. That is until I turned 18, and I left for college. And I ditched church and ran like the wind. And pretty much never looked back.

Last year, I struggled with some painful things in my personal life, and I began to find a relationship with God again. It didn't start out easy. He was patient with me and let me get my frustrations and anger out. But then when so many things began to unfold in my life, I saw for the first time that He was still in control. He still loved me. He knew my path. And now I find myself so much closer to Him.

I want to take the next step and find a church. It's just that there is one major fear I have that is keeping me from going: Going to church alone. Walking in alone, sitting on the pew alone, sharing the hymnal by myself....And I find myself distracted by all the families and couples and quite frankly, that makes me feel even more alone. I know that if I go, I will meet people and make friends. But that takes time and means me faithfully going each week. So that's where I'm at. That's what I need to work on. Overcoming these fears.

The last time I drove to church, I sat in my car and then chickened out and drove to Starbucks. Sad, sad, sad.


















...she grew up on the side of the road, where the church bells ring and strong love grows, she grew up good, she grew up slow, like American Honey...

Dear Thanksgiving

Many people have forgotten you, and have moved straight to Christmas. But I have not forgotten you. I love you and look forward to you all year long. Many don't realize it but we need you more than ever. We need to take a few minutes with family, relax and be thankful for the blessings that are in our lives. Slow down and breathe. Yes, Christmas is fun but it is also insane. Stressful. Expensive. And many people forget what it's really all about. So that's why I love you Thanksgiving. You are perfect and I will be sad to see you go for another year.

What are y'all thankful for this year? I am thankful for my family, my friends that are my extended family, my job and not going to lie, time off from work! :) Much needed. I have so much to be thankful for! I'm also thankful for all of you that read my blog! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! xoxo

Feeling better!!

Thanks for all your encouraging comments! Finally went to the Dr on Thursday - I think I just need someone to say "go to the Dr, you foo'!" Also, I went home for lunch on Thursday, and decided to do a little light vacuuming. I could barely push the vacuum without getting out of breath, and I finally sat down on my couch. That's when I thought I'd better go and now while I have the energy. They did all kinds of standard tests on me - blood drawn, blood pressure, oxygen levels, etc. All looked normal, so she decided to run a chest x-ray and THAT really freaked me out. All I kept thinking was "all those years of smoking in my 20s are about to catch up with me....i have lung cancer.....emphysema...." Silly I know. But I've always been scared of what those years of smoking did to my lungs. Anyways, the bottom line is that all looked clear except on my right lungs I had a few spots that she said looked viral and she wanted to treat me for mild pneumonia. Two days, a zpac, and an inhaler later, I'm feeling much better and I have slept better the last 2 nights that I have in weeks. Maybe that will clear up my dark circles.

Seriously though...breathing in and out normally is something we all take for granted sometimes. I am so grateful for my healthy lungs. I can't imagine what it would feel to have to wear an oxygen mask every day. Or barely being able to dress yourself without gasping for air. I also have a newfound respect for people with asthma.

I asked about my 5K and first she said "you run?" and I laughed and said "yes, very slowly". She told me she had run a few 5Ks throughout the years but one of her best friends went through a bad divorce in her 50s and decided one day to train for a marathon. She said this woman had never run before a day in her life and was a total couch potato. And since then, she has run several marathons. So inspiring the stories of people who become runners! It really motivates me and I hope I can continue running because I DO enjoy it. She said that if I'm feeling 100% better by next Thursday, I can run my 5K. Crossing my fingers!

Happy Saturday and GO COCKS! (Did I forget to mention my Gamecocks won the SEC East?? Bring on those Auburn Tigers...we want the SEC Championship!) ;)

I'm a mess

Ever since I got sick last month, I haven't felt the same since. Lately, I've had shortness of breath just about every day. I cough or clear my throat ALL the time. (Sorry co-workers!) I feel tired. I have dark circles under my eyes. All I want to do is sleep. And even though I get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, I wake up gasping for air sometimes. Something is definitely off with me. Guess I should go back to the doctor, but I hate going. Hope I can get this straightened out soon. I'm running a 5K next week, and it would be great if I didn't pass out during the middle of it.

In the meantime, concealer is my best friend.

The (Real) USC Campus on a Beautiful Fall Day

My dear friend Melissa participated in her FIRST ever half marathon this past weekend. I'm so proud of her! (and her hubs) She's been training super hard for this. Some of you may remember, we ran our first 5K together last October. She kept at it all this time, and now can put 13.1 on her car! Congrats Melissa!

While I was there, I took some pictures of the beautiful University of South Carolina campus. The trees right now are so pretty! I love this time of year. Sorry for the photo overload!

A Real American Hero, My Grandfather

Today I'm remembering my granddaddy who served in the Philippines during WW2 as an anti-aircraft gun operator.

I never met my granddaddy, as he passed away from cancer a few weeks before I was born. But strangely I feel a bond with him. My grandmother and he were so in love and she told me the story of how they met over and over again through the years. Even after she got dementia, that was the one story she never seemed to forget. She got a few of the details wrong in her later years, but it was clear...her soldier was never very far from her mind. A little over 2 years ago, she went Home to finally be with her soldier. I hope I have a love like that someday.

Happy Veterans Day to ALL solders. As a friend of mine said: "Home of the free, because of the brave!"

"Went to the game (and we won) in my Snuggie..."

Sike! Snuggie commercial, you LIE. We did not win. But alas, it did keep me warm all day ...and I thought I would be the only geek in my snuggie. However, I saw TONS of snug-geeks out there so I didn't feel alone!

Did I mentin we lost? Horribly...major sadz. (Smile on my face below was obviously before the game) Let's have a moment....

Moving on...

Pictured below is a cheesy picture of me I took in my car (don't act like you don't do it too). But the reason for it is that I wanted to show you my scarf that I picked up at K-Mart.Yes, K-Mart. Shocking I know. And I kind've love it :) Also, you can sort've see my friend's earrings that she made for me. They are bottle caps that say "USC" on them. Pretty clever and cute, no? Thanks Ker!

Last but not least I took a picture of the Mexican Soup I made for supper tonight. It's delicious!

It's also known as Santa Fe Chili. Here is the recipe:

• 2 pounds ground beef (I only used 1)
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn
• 3 cans stewed tomatoes
  
• 1 4 oz can green chilies
• 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and corn chips, optional

Directions

• In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the beans, corn, tomatoes, salad dressing mix and taco seasoning.
• Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Serve with sour cream, cheese and corn chips if desired.

FYI I used a Dutch Oven instead of the slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Soapbox Moment about Politics

I know some people that were disappointed in the election results yesterday. A lot of people were excited. That's how politics goes. Sometimes your on top; sometimes you're not. It's just the nature of the beast. I understand the heartache of defeat. You put your whole heart and soul into a candidate and they lose. It CAN be heartbreaking.

BUT...

If you can't handle losing without calling people names, insulting them, trashing the opponents, then you need to find a new hobby. I've been voting for the better part of the last 18 years, and I've had my share of disappointments. But I have NEVER insulted someone for voting for their favorite candidate. I saw a LOT of that on Twitter last night. It was disheartening and extremely childish. We ALL have the power and right to vote for who we want. If it didn't turn out the way you like, then more work and fund raising needs to be done for next time. That's what I've always been told. (and don't assume by this post that my candidate won.)

It's America. Let's celebrate that we CAN vote. And move on....

Why do vacations come and go so fast?

First of all, thanks for all the sweet and encouraging comments on my last post! Losing weight is a lifetime battle for me. I just have to want it bad enough. And hopefully now is the time!

This past week I spent the week at the beach with my mom and her 2 sisters. We had a blast! All we did was shop, walk on the beach, eat yummy food (at the beach it's so hard to diet!), swim and shop some more! I can't wait to do it again next year.

My mom and I =)

Don't worry the beach is safe!

Now it's back to work. BOO.

Happy Monday, luvahs!