I made this fun graphic from scratch in Canva.

Many of you may not know that I’m kind of an internet junkie. I LOVE the internet. And online shopping. 🙂 So, I got the idea from the blog Mountain Mama Cooks (great read btw) to do a monthly round up of things I’m really into right now. She calls them “The Goods”.

First off, I just discovered Canva. Canva is an place to design everything with really cool templates for all of your social networks, power point, and even from scratch. It empowers everyone to have the ability to make cool graphics, and templates, no graphic arts degree required. And the best part is that it’s free! The header for this blog template was made in canva, how cool is that? It may be a blogger or marketers new best friend, aside from my other favorite- picmonkey.

How To Test Your Propane Tank

This came up in my last grilling clinic and my good friend Dean from Culinary Concepts (South Florida’s BGE and Weber Dealer) was telling me that he’s hearing that there’s been a slew of bad propane tanks going around. A bad propane tank is nobody’s friend. First of all, they’re dangerous, and secondly, no one wants to get home to find that they have to schlep all the way back to the store to exchange it AGAIN. My good friend Chris from NibbleMeThis shares tips for testing a propane tank to make sure it is good (and safe!). This is invaluable information ya’ll! A bent valve on a propane tank can ruin anyone’s day.

My feet are loving the support these flip flops provide!

The Best Flip Flops…

As a South Florida resident, I wear flips flops 365 days of the year, pretty much anytime I’m not sleeping or doing crossfit. Lately, my feet have been begging me for more support. I’ve heard that wearing flips flops all the time can result in flat foot. Don’t want that. I just found flip flops by Olukai and my feet have told me they are in love. Olukai (from Hawaii) are more expensive than other flops on the block, but they have a molded foot bed that offer your feet the support they need and deserve. After I purchased my pair of Olukai’s, my other flip flops have stayed in the closet. If you are looking for a pair of flops that offers more support, these are your friend. I will probably be buying another pair in another color soon. When I like something I buy like 5 at a time.

Grieving…

This book has been comforting as I grieve the sudden loss of my best pal, Connor.

As many of you know, my Dog Connor passed away suddenly about 2 weeks ago. It’s been a devastating loss and probably the hardest thing I’ve had to go through. I bought this book “I Will See You In Heaven” written by Friar Jack Wintz. It recounts many passages from the bible referencing Gods love for animals and helps paint the picture that our pets will most definitely be in Heaven. This would be a great gift for someone grieving the loss of pet. It’s definitely been comforting to read his passages about God’s love for all creatures and referencing that we will one day see our best friends again in Heaven.

Foraging…

Last but not least, I’ve been following Hank Shaw on his blog Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook. Hank only eats what he grows or kills and his recipes are truly inspiring. I don’t hunt but am very concerned with where my food has come from, what is in it, and I’ve found creative recipes to be truly inspiring. If you like wild game, he has a ton of tips on recipes, paired with a truly gourmet preparation. His bear fat buttermilk biscuits recipe had me truly in awe. I will never make bear fat biscuits but enjoy reading about them and his adventures along the way!

Coming soon:

Coming soon- Paleo Drop Biscuits. made from almond flour, so no empty carbs or guilt!

Paleo Drop Biscuits– I made these up on a whim the other night and people were going crazy for them on the interweb. Recipe coming soon, I need to measure this time! J

Fire Roasted Gazpacho– yes you can even make Gazpacho on your grill! Scott says this was going into my recipe hall of fame and that this was the best thing I have made in 6 months. I took this to a dinner party and it was a hit.

AND… the pool patio project is getting close to being finished! Can’t wait to be able to grill in the backyard again without having to wear my mud boots and trudge through a construction zone!

The pool is almost finished and the new porch has been added on. Almost there!