Return

I'm back! And ready to return to my seat on the healthy wagon.

I enjoyed 10 sumptuous days of eating without concern for nutrition. I highly recommend it - occasionally. What is a vacation if you have to worry about additives, anyway?

The drive down to Phoenix actually went very well. We all stayed hydrated and snacked on fruit and vegetables (thank you very much for all the suggestions!).

Until after lunch. When I passed around the m&ms (peanut butter, in case you're curious), licorice, and animal cookies.

After that, it was basically a free-for-all, in which I convinced my cute little sister in-law to make Texas sheet cake, caramel syrup for waffles, and lemon bars (which, by the way, you have never really even had unless you use fresh-picked lemons. Yep, I spend a week in AZ and I am suddenly an expert. Get used to it).

Anyway, I am still trying to catch up on all my grocery shopping and cleaning after being gone, so I will just quickly share a couple tips I learned over the last few days:

1. If you live in Arizona or California (or any other place where fresh fruit and whole foods markets abound), you have no excuse for not eating healthy. Unless you are like me and just can't seem to get enough lemon bars.

2. The granola recipe I shared here a while ago, and that I make every single week, is...you ready for this...indestructible! Seriously. One more reason to love it! Apparently, if you happen to leave the house right before it is finished baking, and don't return for over an hour, not only will your house not burn down, but your granola will be just as delicious as always. Now THAT is a granola miracle, if I ever heard of one. Especially since it costs so much to make! You can't ruin it. It's fail-safe. Try it. You'll thank me some day.

3. If you stop drinking your 2 quarts of water/day and exercising for two weeks, it is really hard to start again. So don't stop, if you can help it.

4. Go on vacation! Seriously. If I had the wherewithal to describe the benefits I have felt physically, mentally, and yes, even spiritually, from our recent get-away, you would be convinced to leave. Right now. It was that good.

5. I am willing to participate in a study on the health benefits of vacationing. If anyone is looking to fund one...

p.s. I really did try to include pictures with this post, but I have no patience for things that don't work the first time exactly how I desire. Sorry.