amazing day!
July 21, 2010 If you saw my post yesterday and if you saw my guest post on the lovely Teri’s blog, A Foodie Stays Fit, you will understand why I only have 5 photos on today’s post. I’m tired.
Well, there is another reason or two as well.
1 – I took a ton of photos, prepping a few upcoming posts. I never prep posts ahead of time, but we have visitors coming tomorrow, so I thought I would try and get a few blog things done before they get here.
2 – More importantly – CHRIS GOT A JOB. A real deal full-time job. This has been a long time coming. He was laid off almost 2 full years ago. We moved out to Colorado about 10 months ago [read here] and have had no real luck since moving. Well, a HUGE weight has been lifted off of our shoulders but today was spent in suspense waiting for final offers and whatnot. We are thrilled + relieved and cannot.wait. to kick our outrageous Cobra payment to the curb. The one snafu is that we have to move from Denver to Ft. Collins. It’s about 1 hour North and is a really great city. It usually pops up in top ten lists for places to live in the country, so I know we’ll be happy there. I just don’t want to do the actual moving part. How many times have you moved? In college I moved 4yrs in a row and then 1 time after graduating. Then, Chris and I moved to Charlotte and now in Colorado. So, in the past 10 years [omg – I can’t believe I started college TEN years ago], I have moved 6 times, going on 7. Blegh!
Okay. Enough blabbing. But am I allowed to {{{{{squeal}}}}}}
…
The amazing people at Amazing Grass [ha ha ha] sent me their TWO new products, which I was pretty excited about. In the beginning on August, I’ll be hosting a giveaway to win them as well.
Their first new product is a new Amazing Meal flavor – Vanilla Chai Infusion. Of the Amazing Meal’s up to this point, my favorite has been the chocolate. I love all of the greens they magically powder-ize into these mixes and the blend of Hemp Protein + Rice Protein. They also include a stellar fruit + veggie blend and live active cultures. For more information, visit their site!
Upon receiving this product, I noticed Stevia Leaf in the ingredient list. This is not in the other Amazing Meals, and I must admit I was disappointed. I would much rather have the 6g of sugars from cane sugar than have stevia added to the product. You all remember me ranting about the stevia in the Vega product last week.
Oh, did I say I would stop blabbing? I lied.
I covered up the stevia sweetness but still don’t like that it’s there. I don’t want to get used to have super sweet smoothies. Anyway, besides the stevia problem, this is an awesome product. I will have to try it out with just milk, ice + banana to see what the true flavor tastes like. I’ll report back when I do.
Not the prettiest color, but here is what I added:
- 2 peaches
- 2 apricots
- hemp milk
- coconut milk
- 1/2 banana
- handful of blueberries
- 1/4c pepitas [for some healthy fat!]
Despite the look, it was tasty!
Topped with: Love Grown Foods granola, peanut butter + chia seeds and eaten with my shovel spoon :)
Fill in the blanks with typical Ashley lunch food….
A pile of low + slow sweet potatoes were consumed for part of dinner.
With some fancy red dipping sauce! I am ketchup obsessed.
I also consumed an entire head of kale, part of a smoothie for an upcoming recipe, piles of other fruit, a few mini cucumbers…and the list goes on…chocolate….crackers…pickles…
Why didn’t we go out and celebrate?? Chris had to go to a meeting tonight about his Ecuador trip. He has been gone for 6 hours! Hopefully we’ll get to share a toast soon!
All for now…
Ashley
smoothie, sweet potatoes
Reader Comments (67)
Congrats to Chris again and again and again---so frickin' exciting!!!! Moving is a b*tch but when it's all said and done you won't even remember the hassle.
...and about starting college 10 years ago. Some radio DJ mentioned someone being 18 years old and all of sudden I felt so old. I'm not 18 anymore? What? Since when?
Congrats to you and your husband! That is definitely wonderful news!!! And Ft Collins is beautiful as well (you really can't go wrong living in any part of CO). And don't you have family there too? It is always great to be closer to family...totally worth the move, right?:)
Congrats on the hubbies job! Love reading your posts.Looking forward to that AMAZING give away!
Yay again! Congrats again! I am sooo happy for you guys.
CONGRATS! CONGRATS!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations to Chris!! I'm so happy for you both!
wwow, that's great news for Chris! At least it isn't too far to move but I can understand you not wanting to have to go through the actual process of moving. It can be stressful!
Congrats to Chris for the job. I'm sure your move will go smoothly. Have a great day! :)
Congratulations to Chris! I'm sure the new job is a great relief to both of you.
I can completely empathize with you regarding moving - since graduating college in 2005 my husband (then boyfriend and a couple years later, fiance), have lived in Cambridge, MA; Somerville, MA; an apartment in Houston and then a house in Houston; and now we're back in Boston (thank goodness!). This is the first year in 5 that we've lived in the same place for over 1 year. It is getting exhausting!
I don't know much about Ft. Collins, but pretty much everywhere I've visited in Colorado has been absolutely beautiful. I hope you two are happy there :).
A big congrats to you guys!!! That's great news. :)
Ashley this is fantastic news!!!!! Congratulations to you and Chris, I know how long you've been waiting for this! :)
CONGRATS to you and Chris on the job! That must definitely be a big relief for the both of you. I know how moving is a drag (especially since I'm in the middle of doing it right now...across the country!) but it's usually worth it in the end...2 weeks of pain and then it's long term gain!
I'm planning on making your zucch muffin recipe....the boy has a hankering for choc zucch loaf, so I am going to offer recipe with choc studs (chips) in lieu ;)
YAY! Congrats to your hubby!! That is awesome news :D
I really need to eat more sweet potatoes, you had me drooling... ;)
xo
Kris
Congrats to Chris!
One of my friends lives in Ft. Collins and I visited a few years ago and loved it. I'm sure you will too!
Great news! I hope he really likes the job.
That is so excited hubs got a job!! I can only imagine 2 years without was difficult - how blessed you are!
Moving blows - plain and simple. I moved every year while in college, and I'm in the process of moving into my new house (getting married next friday!!! eeek!!!) so my entire life is a mess right now.
It's great you have such apostive attitude about moving though!
Wha hoo! Congrats to Chris on the new job! Bummer that you have to move from Denver, but maybe that means I need to come to Ft. Collins and visit sometime? :)
Wow congratulations to you and Chris on his new job! Good luck with the move I can't wait to see your pictures of the new city - I'm sure it's beautiful.
Where did you get that sweet blue spoon? I love it.
Yay, yay, yay!! What wonderful news!! Too bad you have to move again, but I'm sure it will all be worth it!
congrats on the job, I'm with you on the moving thing in the past six years I've moved 5 times between three different countries, but I have to say that we don't own a lot of unnecessary stuff (you know stuff that you don't want to throw out but really don't need either)
And if you look at it as a new adventure it's kinda nice and exciting.
Yay, congratulations! I have been reading your blog since you lived in Charlotte, but haven't commented yet. I bet you are relieved for the job, but not for the move. I hear ya on the moving part. 7 years ago I moved from Ohio to SC for college, then 3 months later moved again due to roommate issues. Then the following year switched apartments twice then moved to a house. My husband and I just sold our house in May, moved into a tiny apt and are relocating from SC to Denver in less than a month! Packing sucks so I understand your pain. Congratulations on moving forward!
Congrats on the job!
what wonderful news! & yum sweet potatoes <3
I also LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potatoes and sugar free ketchup
Congrats on the J-O-B!!! I don't know how you guys did it for 10 months, that is *stressful* - huge props and I hope the job was worth the wait! ;)
We're moving to Westminster in 10 days (same sort of cross-country move you did, jobless initially - have some offers in the works, though) - somewhat close to you, yes? Might have to hunt you down for a bike/run meetup!
Congratulations to Chris!! That's such amazing news, you should certainly be squealing. Seriously, I don't think everyone understands how hard it is right now to find jobs... even engineers. I get asked non-stop, and I just finished 3 weeks ago, leave me alone!! Fort Collins is lovely, and plus don't you have family up there?? That should be awesome. If you need any FoCo advice, I can help ya out :)
Thanks Katie!!!! I know what you mean about the asking...I think people have given up asking me, hehe. Yes, we have family there and a few friends. I might hit you up for advice. We definitely need to go out and catch up before I head up there in a month!
Yes stressful! Chris has been out of work for nearly 2yrs. Ugh! Westminster?? Yah, we lived there for the first 4 months when we moved here. I would love to meet up! Ft. Collins is only about 1 hour away :)
Oh my gosh..wow. Long time reader!! Thank you so much for following all this time :) Oh my gosh, Denver?? We'll have to meet up!!!
Thanks!! Yes, most definitely!
Thank you Darryn!! I hope you guys like the muffins!
Yes.....SO long..thank you!
Uhh, wow that is a lot of moving too!
Thanks so much Allie!!!
Thanks!! Yes, we do! And a friend or 2 as well...we're excited!
Congratulations! It must be such a relief for you two. The worst part of moving is packing everything up - but it's also a chance to get rid of stuff you don't need - silver lining right?
Huge congrats!! And I absolutely love Ft. Collins - what a cool place to live. :)
That is fantastic news. YEA! Still in Denver, win-win!!!
Congrats that is awesome! After half a year in Physical Therapy school my husband decided it wasn't for him and quit. That led to several months of unemployment which also equaled lots of stress. I remember the huge relief we felt when he found a new job. I'm so happy for you!
Congrats! Fort Collins is an amazing place!!
Congratulations to Chris!
I have no doubt you will make a wonderful home in Fort Collins for you both.
And I have a 2 year old that could drink you under the table with ketchup consumption.
As another recent transplant facing a long period of unemployment, I can only imagine how happy and relieved you are! Good luck moving, we're coming up on that (again), too.
Congratulations on Chris' new job! The process of moving is never fun but it will all be worth it once you're there. As someone who recently just moved from the place she's lived for 16 years, I feel your pain. Your smoothie sounds delicious and I look forward to the giveaway soon; I've wanted to try Amazing Grass for some time now!
Have a lovely day!
xox
Congratulations to Chris (and you, of course!). I moved every year for 8 years straight...then 3 years ago we bought a place and not moving has been so great! You will be fine though because you have something awesome to look forward to!
I am so bummed about stevia in the Vanilla Chai. :( Glad to hear you still liked it though!
Congrats!! Moving sucks, but it helps when it's because of something new and exciting!
ahh congrats!!!!! thats so exciting and so happy for both of you! i LOVE that little blue spoon and want one!!!
Hi Ashley! Congratulations to your husband on the new job.
I actually moved from Western PA (near Pittsburgh) to Fort Collins 3 years ago. I loved reading about your trips back to Ohio, because I can relate with those 2 hour time changes and entire days seemingly spent traveling.
Your blog is great and I love your posts. I would love to make any recommendations or help you guys get settled if you need help.
I have to know - what did you do to those sweet potatoes??? They look delish!