Hey everyone!

The rainy season has finally begun in Florida! Summer thunderstorms are a constant here and this year they've started a little early. Rainy weather always makes me want to lay in bed cuddled up with a book and a cup of coffee. Another thing I crave during overcast days is comfort food. I absolutely LOVE comfort food, which to me is anything warm and creamy. Beef stroganoff is one of my favorite comfort foods, and one of my boyfriend's favorites.

Here is a simple beef stroganoff recipe for a rainy day. It is honestly so simple to make and so filling that you will be enjoying stroganoff for days.

Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pounds steak
All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp of garlic
half a diced onion
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms
1 10 oz can of beef broth
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
noodles
salt
pepper

To cook:

Cut the steak into thin strips or cubes (whatever you prefer). Add the olive oil to a pan with the garlic on medium heat. Add the steak and a pinch of flour to the pan and cook the steak until it is browned. Remove the steak from the pan and and the mushrooms and onion.


Sauté the mushrooms for several minutes and then add the cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and steak back into the pan.


Add another pinch of flour, salt and pepper to season. Mix and cook covered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile boil water to cook the noodles in and cook your favorite noodles.



After 30 minutes stir in the sour cream and serve over the noodles. Enjoy!! 

It's the start of a new week!

But, last weekend so much happened that I just have to tell you about it. I'm going to start with this delicious recipe for the most moist original Philadelphia cheesecake. It isn't healthy one bit, but it is delicious. One day I may come back with a twist to make it more healthy. But for now, I feel like dessert should be what it is, a sweet treat to occasionally indulge in and enjoy. So here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
4 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp of sugar
1/3 cup of melted butter

It is the easiest recipe and it's actually the same recipe from Kraft! You can find it here. My mom has been making it for years and just passed it down to me. Now that I enjoy cooking and baking whenever my family is together I always make the desserts, so I made this cheesecake for Easter weekend.

Here is how to make it:

Heat the oven to 325 F and DON'T FORGET, THIS NEXT STEP is the most important part, to put a glass pan on the second rack in the oven filled halfway with water. This is the trick to making a moist cheesecake. Dry cheesecake is probably the worst thing in the world and if you do this ONE STEP you will have a delicious cheesecake. Okay back to the cooking part. Combine the graham crackers, 3 tbsp of sugar, and butter in a 9-inch springform pan. Use a spoon to push onto the bottom to create the crust. Let the cream cheese reach room temperature and then beat with 1 cup of sugar and vanilla until blended. Add the eggs one at a time mixing on low until blended. Add to the crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the middle is set. Cool before removing the rim of the pan and then refrigerate for at least several hours before serving.



Another way to make your cheesecake the best ever is to serve it with various berries. I used strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries to give my cheesecake an extra texture and tang. 

We went to church on Sunday and ate it after lunch! My mom made us mac'n'cheese, ham, and green beans for lunch which was amazing. She's such a good cook and I hope I can be as seamless as her one day.



In track news I ran the 3k steeplechase this weekend at the UF relays and I ran a 20 second pr! I ran 11:03 and my previous pr was 11:22. It was a big deal for me because I feel like I crossed a barrier that had been in front of me for the past two years. It's such a good feeling seeing your hard work pay off.



I haven't pr'd for two years in this race, and it's my favorite race. My advice to you guys is to just keep pushing. Your work and effort will eventually pay off. It took me two years to get it but I still did get it! I'm praying that the momentum can continue and I will pr again. Only time will tell but I'll be sure to tell you guys about it.

I can't wait for all that this week holds! I hope you guys have an amazing week, keep working hard and enjoy some dessert too!

Hi everyone!

I hope your week is going well!

This is my first week back after spring break and I have to say it's kind of hard getting back into the swing of things.

Our first outdoor home track meet was this weekend so my parents drove up at watched me. I ran the 2k steeplechase as my season opener. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't great. I'm looking to improve a lot in the 3k steeplechase this weekend.

I took advantage of my parents being here and made them take me grocery shopping. We went to Winn-Dixie and I got all my food for the week. I'm really trying to eat more vegetables and fruit so that's mainly what was in my cart. As you can see I got two packets of mixed greens, so of course salads are on the menu for the week.

Speaking of salads, I made one just last night with chicken breast and raspberry vinaigrette. It was delicious and so easy to throw together. I made sweet potato fries to go as a side with some ketchup and then devoured everything.

Here is the recipe:

Preheat oven to 450. Peel sweet potato and cut into thin strips. Toss in bowl with 1 tsp of olive oil, and 1 tsp of each paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (In all honesty I never measure things out but this should be a rough estimate). Spread aluminum foil on baking sheet and then spread the sweet potatoes evenly on the sheet. Cook for 30 minutes.

Add a tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and turn the stove top burner on to medium heat. Pat dry two chicken breasts and season with paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder. (You can use whatever spices you want I just kind of threw whatever I had in the cabinet on the chicken). Cook each side 7/8 minutes or until it's no longer pink in the middle if you cut into it.

Let the chicken cool a bit and then cut into bite size pieces. Throw onto a bed of mixed greens and add raspberry vinaigrette, fresh raspberries, pecan pieces, and shredded parmesan cheese. Put the sweet potato fries on a plate and add ketchup. Trust me you won't regret it, ketchup makes everything better. Enjoy!

Hey everyone!

I'm so sorry I have been absent these past few days! My school work just caught up to me and I was very busy this weekend and kind of just in a funk. I didn't really feel like recording my cooking so I took a break. But I'm back!!

Since this is the last week of school before spring break my motivation level is minimal. It also means that I didn't really need to buy that much food from the grocery store. I plan on living off the few things I bought and whatever else I can find in my pantry. I'm not going anywhere for the actual week of spring break as I will be training for our first outdoor track meet. However, I will be going this Thursday through Sunday to camp with my parents. I can't wait. I haven't been camping in years and it will be so fun!

On Sunday I shopped at Aldi and they had some great deals. Their avocados were only 69 cents a piece! That's unheard of. They also have my favorite salsa for $1.40 and it comes in a huge jar. My cart contained the following: tortilla chips, snyders pretzel pieces (I have a weakness for these), orange juice, hazelnut k-cups, macaroni, salsa, three avocados, bananas, a mango, blueberries, ground beef, and purity organic juice. I wanted to try the purity juice because I've heard its delicious. It was a small cart I know but it was all I needed.

I planned on making tacos this week and mac and cheese and of course gobbling up those avocados! I also have some frozen chicken in the freezer and some frozen veggies so I will probably make those this week. Another thing I usually always have is pesto so I can make some pesto noodle dish if I'm feelin it.

That night my Chris and I made the macaroni, well more like he made it. There are a few dishes he is really proud of making and I guess Mac n Cheese is one of them. He wanted to buy Velveeta cheese to add to it and I said absolutely not.

We used the cheese I had in my fridge and I honestly thought it was still delicious. It wasn't the healthiest as we used an entire stick of butter (call me Paula Dean) but I added some roasted broccoli to it just to get some greens in. I sent the leftovers home with Chris so he wouldn't starve while I'm gone camping.

This week I probably won't be cooking anything too interesting, but when I get to my parents camp site we will be cooking up some of that good good stuff. I will be sure to write about the best meals for camping and I can't wait to share it with you guys! By the way, where is your favorite place to camp?!

Have you ever felt out of control in your life? Do you feel like things are slipping away and there is no way you can bring it back together? Are you a control freak? I know I am. Sadly. It is honestly such a pain. I worry about everything and everything I do (or other people do) has to be done perfectly and to the way I like it. I worry about my future, what I'm doing to do when I graduate, who I'm going to marry, how I'm going to pay for anything. I even worry about things in the immediate future, like my grades and when I can clean my apartment next.

Honestly, it is the most exhausting way to live. To constantly have to be in the know and in control of what is happening in your life is exhausting. It isn't the way God made us to be. I'm the kind of girl who planned every single class she would take in college her freshman year. I have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C for almost everything. That is just who I am, and while I know God didn't make us to worry all the days of our lives, sometimes I just need a reminder.

This is me, reminding you, and myself, that God is in control. In Matthew 19, Jesus is confronted by a man who believes he has done everything right. He has been in complete control of his life, for his entire life. He has kept all the commandments and wants to know how to gain eternal life. However, Jesus realized that the man still had one thing that was controlling his life, one thing he had yet to give up. His wealth. Sadly, the man could not give that up and turned away from Jesus.

Of course the disciples were confused as the man appeared to be near to perfect, in total control. They asked who then could be saved if not even this man. Jesus had the perfect answer, as always.

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'."

Whoah. With that one phrase Jesus tells them that it is not in man's control to save himself, it is with God. The man could not give up the control money had over his life, thus he could not give in to God's control. In my opinion, this verse is such a freeing statement. Every time I read it, it's like a load is lifted from my shoulders. When I want everything to be in order and just right, and when I have to know my plans for the next five years, I think of this verse. It doesn't matter what I do to gain control of my life when ultimately my life belongs to God, and with God all things are possible. My striving to have control of my life will not save me, only God can do that. So let's all just take a deep breath and know that God is in control and we don't have to be.

Hello Everyone!

Can you guys believe it is already March?! I feel like this year is going by so fast! Our outdoor season is starting in a few weeks and Spring Break is coming up soon. I know that during school the year goes by fast because I get caught up doing homework and sometimes living assignment to assignment. Does anyone else do this, like accidentally let their life go by because they focus too much on school? Sadly, I am definitely a culprit of this.

Sometimes I have to tell myself to stop, take a breath, and enjoy the small things. This weekend was just what I needed. I decided to take advantage of the break between track seasons to visit my parents and go home to Ocala. I also went with Chris to visit his parents in Tampa and meet his mom for the first time.

It was a great weekend and I really missed my parents, but we also did a lot of driving. I'm glad we did though because even if it is just for a little while it is important to spend time with the people who love you.

In Tampa, I went with Chris and his dad to this cute little flee market down the street from their house. We walked through all the aisles and even saw some old military memorabilia that Chris loved. When we got back his mom was making fruit pizza for a dinner party we were going to that night. Let me tell you, this fruit pizza was the most amazing dessert I have ever had. It was so light and yummy! She even let us decorate it! I will be making it later this week and include the recipe for you guys.


After that we relaxed at the house and played with their adorable dog Breely before going to dinner. I'm glad we went to Tampa because I was able to meet a lot of people that are important in Chris's life.

On Sunday, I went to brunch with my sister and her boyfriend and their new golden retriever puppy Scout! Scout is such a rascal, but he's too cute to do anything about it. He loves his pizza just as much as I do. We ate at First Watch, which is one of my favorite breakfast restaurants. They have healthy food that's not too expensive and their coffee is delicious.


I ate the protein packed pancakes while Rachel had avocado toast and honestly I forgot what Zach ate.


Later that day I was able to go to Publix with my mom to get my grocery shopping done for the week. I am so thankful that she paid for my groceries! Guys take care of your moms and they will take care of you!


It was quite expensive because it was from Publix, but here is the list of what I got for the week:

1. eggs
2. natural bliss creamer 
3. frozen beat veggie spirals 
4. frozen cauliflower rice
5. frozen blackberries 
6. fresh strawberries 
7. three bell peppers 
8. a head of broccoli 
9. sandwich thins honey wheat bread 
10. four RX bars
11. chicken breasts
12. salmon 
13. a mix of nuts 
14. spring mix lettuce mix 
15. peanut butter 
16. bandaids and contact solution 

It's Friday!!

Hello!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

It's been a tough day for me. I'm always busiest the first two days of the week and then by Wednesday my week starts getting easier. Today everything was just getting to me. I like to pretend that I am tough and that I take every day as it is. I pretend that I can go with the flow and that little things won't get to me. That's just not reality.

There was really no particular event that made today harder than any other Tuesday. It was just a lot of little things that kept adding up. I had to film for my journalism class and my camera kept messing up, no one wanted to be interviewed, and I was rushing to be on time to everything today. I did my regular morning run but then I failed to make my quiet time with God. Honestly, I think that's why my day was so much more stressful than usual.

Thankfully, one of my afternoon classes was canceled so I was able to get my second run and workout in earlier today! I went to the gym at my apartment and busted out four more miles and a short whole body lifting workout. The best part about it was that I was able to jam out to some Christian music and just have some quiet time to pray and think to myself. No one else was at the gym so it was basically my own personal fitness center.

I had night class today and some of the girls on my team invited me to Chick-Fil-A for dinner so I met them beforehand. Now I know Chick-Fil-A is not the "healthiest" but it's all about balance! I also haven't hung out with my girls in a while so it was necessary.

Obviously this post is not about what I ate at Chick-Fil-A. The recipe here is a really easy throw together meal that I make for dinner when I am out of food but still trying to get my veggies and grains in. Since it is such a throw together meal I don't usually measure things out.

It's a simple stir-fry with frozen green peans and broccoli in a teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki sauce is from Aldi and it is delicious I totally recommend it. I use my rice cooker to make whatever rice I have laying around and I usually always have chicken on hand so I add that in for the protein. I first cook the chicken in the teriyaki sauce, then I add the cooked rice, broccoli, and green beans. I add some more teriyaki sauce and salt and pepper and cook on high for about six more minutes. It is super easy and a great meal on my busy days (when I'm not eating Chick-Fil-A).

My Cart: 

Have you ever felt lost, unbalanced and out of control? I have many times in my life. I started atypical appetite for one of my classes in college, but it turns out that this blog is actually a joy to manage and create content for. As I continue to write and create this blog I can't help but think that it is a waste to talk about living a healthy balanced lifestyle without talking about the One who ultimately gives me balance.

For this reason, I have decided to introduce Wednesdays in the Word. I will be blogging about one thing that the Word of God has taught me and that I think may help others. I am by no means perfect. I may get things wrong and may say something you disagree with. This is a learning process and I am constantly growing in my relationship with God. I simply want to share some of the things he teaches me. I hope you come along for the journey! I am always open for advice and suggestions!

Of course, food will be the main focus of this blog. But, every week you can look forward to Wednesdays in the Word. I will tie my lifestyle advice and updates about running into these posts as well.

The first Wednesday in the Word is based around the song Clarity by For All Seasons. It came up on my spotify playlist a few days ago and I have been obsessed with it every since. As a control freak it is so easy for me to feel like my life is spiraling away. I like to control every little thing. Especially when it comes to my future. I am not someone who easily goes with the flow. Anyone else like this?

I love this song because it makes me think of Luke 12.
The bible basically tells us not to worry about the future, what we will eat or what we will wear. It tells us that God takes care of the animals and that they need not worry so why do we. I take so much comfort in this because it is a promise that God will take care of us. When life is out of control he won't forget me.

If you are feeling like your life is out of control remember that God is in control. When we learn to have an atypical appetite and hunger for the things of God we will ultimately be able to trust that He is in control. Don't worry this isn't easy and I'm learning just as you are! Feel free to share anything you've learned about letting go of control in your life. I would love to hear about it!

Here is my breakfast from Monday! I made banana blueberry oats and they were so yummy! They had the perfect consistency and just enough protein to carry me over to lunch. I made them by combining 1/2 cup of rolled instant oats with 1 cup of almond milk and half a cut up banana. I heated this mixture up for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Afterwards, I stirred it so the banana mixed into the oats and added my toppings. I added cinnamon, chia seeds, mixed nuts, frozen blueberries, and almond butter. I like to add frozen fruit because they don't get as mushy as fast and it just adds another yummy texture.

This is a great breakfast for any morning where you are feeling rushed. It took me less than five minutes to make and I devoured it in probably even less time. Thanks to the nuts and nut butter I got enough protein in to fill me up. I would also suggest this for anyone that struggles making it to lunch without a few snacks in between.

Big News!

I know this is a short blog post, and while the point of it is to share this super yummy breakfast meal, I also wanted to introduce a new aspect about atypicalappetite to you guys!

In addition to writing about ways to eat healthy/balanced food, I want to keep you guys updated with my running as well as my spiritual journey. It is so early into my blog that I don't want to say I'm rebranding, but rather I am just adding to my brand.

I chose the name atypical appetite thinking that it fits perfectly with how I want to be seen by the world. I don't want to conform to the world and eat all the unhealthy processed foods that are so common nowadays. As I continued thinking about living an atypical life, I thought about how God calls us to live apart from the world. He calls us to live lives that show his light to the world. He does not want us to conform to the world either. In the bible God says we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). As the salt of the earth we are called to share his gospel to everyone we can. How can we do that if we ourselves have a typical appetite for the things of this world. We must have an atypical appetite for the things of God.

So I write all this and I make this connection with the name of my blog to say that I am going to share my spiritual journey with you guys. I hope that I can gain guidance from you and maybe even help someone who may be struggling. I hope we can all learn to have atypical appetites and nonconforming attitudes toward the things of this world. Thanks for going on this journey with me!!