And, again

So, I was back. Then I was gone again. The bar exam happened, then a crazy move, and some "settling in" time post-move. Then, just other things going on, if I am being honest. But family members keep nagging and I keep thinking I do want to blog again - mostly about food! I am in a routine now - and I have no complaints. Work weeks on my own, predictable dayjob type hours, good work and coworkers. The weekends are for spending with the husband - one of us will drive the 90 miles to where the other spends most of the time. There is something about that schedule that makes the weekends extra special, even if it is a bit sad when we have to part ways for the work week.

The fitness routine I was going for in the summer never truly materialized. I need structure to be my best self, and the flexibility of structuring my own days ended up with not as much exercise as I'd have liked. It turns out I studied enough though - I found out recently that I passed the bar! It was a huge relief, of course. I know I might take a second one as soon as next summer, but having passed one makes me feel like I can do it again if necessary for life circumstances.

Now that I am here, I am recommitting to fitting healthy habits into my full time work schedule. During the work week it's just me, so there really isn't much excuse not to do good healthy things. I've been having fun cooking and making new recipes while trying to streamline the whole shopping/cooking process so that it takes an amount of time that is enjoyable and not too tiring. I look for many of the same types of recipes as I used to, but with more of an emphasis toward simplicity (and speed). I also look for things made with "whole foods" or "real food" or whatever you want to call it, try to get my veggies in one way or another, and so on and so forth. When I am cooking just for myself I tend to cook more meatless meals and more seafood. I haven't taken a ton of photos, but here is one of a shrimp dish I made -

Spicy Shrimp Salads from Kath Eats Real Food

I made that a couple times - there's greens, fresh pineapple, shrimp, soba noodles, sriracha, and a nice tangy sauce with it all. This was the first thing I think I've ever made with soba noodles and now I've got some plans to make more recipes that use them! 

One of my new favorite recipes is Slow Cooker Refried Beans from 100 Days of Real Food. I never thought to make refried beans in the slow cooker before, and it turns out it's super easy. I have renewed appreciation for the slow cooker these days, as it's pretty awesome to come home to some hot and good-smelling food. 

As I write this, I've got this caramelized onion and apple soup from Skinnytaste simmering on the stove. I obviously haven't tasted it yet, but it sure does smell good! (It is a rare exception to my "quick" criterion, but so far it smells like it'll be worth the wait.) I am enjoying finding any and all opportunities this fall to cook with butternut squash, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, and so on and so forth. 

So there's my update. It's short on details, but at the moment I feel like using my blog to share all the food I am eating as a way to avoid overloading my Instagram with food photos. :-) Maybe my next post will be sooner than in 3 months! We shall see!