Lemon "Candy" Smoothie

Back when I could still eat refined sugar we used to love to go out for ice cream. Leatherby's Family Creamery has been a tradition in my family since before I can remember. I have a lot of great memories associated with that place; however, my favorite ice cream dessert was always the lemon shake from Iceberg. Oh MAN! That thing is so delicious. I have been missing it and craving it and so when I spotted some pure lemon extract at the store the other day I knew I had to pick some up and try it out.

The base of this smoothie is almost exactly the same as my Chocolate Spinach Protein Smoothie. A few tweaks here and there and you have what can only be described as pure heaven in a glass. Every time I make it for my cute hubster he goes on and on about how it tastes like candy. Since it has no added sugar... we'll let him believe that that is what it is made out of!

LEMON "CANDY" SMOOTHIE
Serves 2

*8 ounces coconut milk (or milk of choice)
1 large banana
1 large handful spinach or kale
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional, but give it a great thickness)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
**LOTS of ice

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

*We have been buying coconuts recently and so I usually add 6 ounces of water to the bottom of my Blendtec and then add in a few chunks of fresh coconut. I blend it on WHOLE JUICE for two cycles and then add the remaining ingredients. If you have a Blendtec or other high powered blender you can also make your own almond milk by following the same process with water and unsalted almonds. I will usually do 6 ounces of water and a little less than 1/4 cup almonds. Trust me - you won't have chunks if your blender is powerful enough!

**When I say lots of ice I am talking like at least 2-3 cups. I like my smoothies VERY thick and I usually only consider them finished if it takes a Level 5 mix on my Blendtec to get it to move. Just add it to your thickness preference.

Supper-Time Sunday!

I gotta say... of all of the posts that I do these ones are probably my favorite. I really love sharing all of the delicious eats that we have been able to enjoy lately with my lovely family and friends - and all of you that I don't know but would love to! We had another great week of eats this week!

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FRUIT SWEETENING PASTE (PURE FRUIT SWEETENER)

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Primally Inspired

I have to talk about this one first because it is the one that I am most excited about. When you are sugar intolerant it is easy to feel that your options are very limited - because they are. When I saw this all natural fruit sweetening paste on Primally Inspired I knew that I wanted to try it out!

Our local Winco Foods has a large section of bulk bins and I was able to get all of the ingredients for this paste from there. The recipe says that you can use any amounts of any combination of dried fruits so, really, the sky is the limit. I got the recommended fruits and made sure none of them were listed with added sugar. (Another great benefit to Winco Foods bulk section - they list the ingredients and nutritional information on all of their bins). I got 0.47 lbs Deluxe Raisins for $0.36, 0.36 lbs Dried Apricots for $1.23, 0.57 lbs Dried Adriatic Figs for $1.18, and 2.94 lbs Dried Whole Pitted Dates for $1.46. Total weight = 4.34 lbs for $4.23. Pretty awesome, right? 

What is even more awesome is that it tastes DELICIOUS! My husband had some spread on a piece of toast and I had some spread on my Tone It Up Protein Pancake at breakfast IMMEDIATELY after I finished making it.

And if that weren't awesome enough... We ended up with about 40 ounces of the finished product ~ 40 ounces for $4.23. If you buy honey at Sam's Club it costs $12.80 for 80 ounces. And pure maple syrup (grade A) at Costco is over $13 for 33.8 ounces. This is a delicious and very cost effective alternative!

You can see that we have already dug into the smaller jar

I am so happy to have this all natural product to sweeten my eats with and to finally have something that resembles jam again! 

PIN IT!

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SUPER THICK SHAMROCK SMOOTHIE

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Lauren at Oatmeal After Spinning

There have been a lot of St. Patrick's Day eats going around right now. Since today is St. Patrick's day it seems to make sense, right? Well it is no fun to be left out of favorite traditions when you are trying to eat healthy so there have been a lot of copycat shamrock shakes going around as well. I even blogged about one last week that we enjoyed.

However, this one takes the cake for me. I loved this recipe and made it twice this week. One time I hoarded it for myself as my lunch and hid away from the kids so I wouldn't have to share. The second time I was feeling more generous so I made the same amount but distributed the goods throughout my little family so everyone could enjoy it. Cute hubster is not a fan of peppermint but even he enjoyed it!

I made a couple of changes to this recipe. The first time that I made it I didn't have a frozen banana or peppermint extract.... so instead I used 1 whole small banana and pure mint extract. I used 1/2 tsp mint extract (*DISCLAIMER! Only use this much if you like STRONG mint flavor!) and I used frozen kale instead of the spinach. It got incredibly thick and I ate it in a bowl just like mint ice cream - DIVINE!

When I made it for the family I actually had peppermint extract. I kept my other changes the same but used 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. It was pretty good still but I liked the strength of the mint extract and will probably continue to use it for my own hoarding smoothie purposes.

Overall this is, by far, my favorite copycat Shamrock Smoothie!

PIN IT!

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CROCKPOT JAMBALAYA

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of With Just a Bit of Magic

This is a recipe that my wonderful sister-in-law posted about and I knew that I wanted to try it. I love Jambalaya but usually can't eat the ones that you get at restaurants around here because they are made with noodles. (No gluten for me!)

I had a bit of a hectic day and didn't get the ingredients for this one in the crockpot until there were only about 4 hours left to dinner time. I placed the ingredients in my "depths of Mordor" crockpot and set it to high hoping that it would be ready in time. 

Well, it was and it wasn't. The brown rice is extremely finicky about when it will cook right and it was still a little crunchy by the time it was time to eat dinner. We didn't mind it and we ate the jambalaya anyway. Cute hubster took the leftovers to work and didn't mention any bad crunchiness so I assume it was fine.

What we particularly enjoyed about this recipe was the delicious flavor. I used all natural Sweet Apple Chicken sausage and the contrast of the sweetness with the hot sauce we added to our bowls was divine. 

I didn't want to buy fresh thyme so I used 2 tsp dried thyme instead of the 2 tbsp fresh that it calls for. I also didn't want to spend the money for the shrimp so we just left it out completely. If you have a food processor the chopping of the veggies for this dish is a cinch, otherwise it would be a bit time consuming. 

*Side Note: I have found the PERFECT method for cooking even the most finnicky and stubborn of brown rice:

COOK THE PERFECT BROWN RICE

Photo + recipe courtesy of Pinch My Salt

Seriously. This technique has NEVER failed us. We love it!

Overall, this jambalaya recipe was very good and if I am in the mood for jambalaya again I will probably pull this recipe out of the archives; however, there are so many other recipes out there that I want to try that unless I am specifically craving jambalaya I will probably not revisit this recipe.

PIN IT! (Jambalaya)

PIN IT! (Brown Rice)

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CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

Recipe courtesy of Life After Bagels

I love my morning oatmeal greatly and I am always interested in finding new ways to switch things up. I used to love carrot cake greatly when I was still eating sugar and gluten and so this recipe particularly caught my eye. Especially since this is a great way to add some veggies to the most important meal of the day!

And it was delicious! Very hearty, flavorful and filling. However.... I did change several things about the recipe.

I didn't want to bother cooking steel cut oats so I just used my normal 1/2 cup of gluten free old fashioned oats. To that I added all of the gratings of 1 medium carrot, 1 small banana (sliced), 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional), and a large sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. I cooked it on high in the microwave for 3 minutes and then added 2 tbsp of unsalted almonds to the finished product. Like I said, it was delicious and it was quite sweet enough for me with the carrot and the banana to not need the additional maple syrup.

I am sure the original recipe is just as delicious - this is just what worked for me!

*Note: If you would like to see a picture of this recipe, the recipe itself, or pin this recipe please click on the "Life After Bagels" link under the title above. This link will take you directly to this particular recipe on Life After Bagels site.

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QUESTIONS FOR MY DEAR READERS: What was the best thing you ate this week? Are you doing anything special with your food for St. Patrick's Day?

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

I have a wide assortment of different recipes for you this week - all delicious! Definitely a great week of delicious eats.

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MOM'S STOVETOP PORK RIBS

Recipe + Photo Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Oh man oh man! These were sooooo good! I was extremely skeptical about the cooking technique but these ribs turned out super tender and flavorful. I only had 7 country style pork ribs (meaning that they were boneless) and I used tamari instead of soy sauce to keep it gluten free. 

A lot of the reviews talked about the saltiness of the dish. Truth be told, the more of the sauce that ends up on your actual rib the more salty it will taste. Next time I make this (because there WILL be a next time) I will probably cut back on the tamari. Probably try 1/4 - 1/3 cup instead of 1/2. 

Also, the cooking time is way off. I think my water took at least an hour to boil down and I was conservative about it. Plan ahead and give it the time to boil down - you won't regret it. 

Even with 10 cloves of garlic it didn't taste overly garlicky to us. The whole family loved them. Try this one out! You won't be disappointed!

PIN IT!

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OVEN ROASTED SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Recipe + Photo Courtesy of Food.com

I served these on the side with the pork ribs and they were delicious. I would've liked them to be a bit more crispy than they turned out but I think that could be achieved by letting them sit on broil for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time.

Sweet potatoes can be incredibly frustrating to cut. I didn't want to fight with them this time so I peeled my potatoes, pricked them a few times and microwaved them for 3 minutes. It was only a short time and the potatoes were not cooked through but they softened so that they were MUCH easier to cut!

The only thing that I changed about the recipe was that I used date sugar instead of the brown sugar. My boy {N} GOBBLED these down! My girl [A] is still very skeptical of sweet potatoes but at least she tried these. 

PIN IT!

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COPYCAT SHAMROCK SHAKE - HEALTHY, PALEO VERSION

Recipe + Photo Courtesy of Primally Inspired

We had these shakes for breakfast this very morning and they were delicious and filling. Very thick and creamy. Cute hubster said they tasted fresh and green. 

I didn't use the honey in the recipe and instead used 1 banana and a little over 1 Tbsp stevia. Since I was sharing it with cute hubster I knew he would want it to be more sweet than I usually make things. I also didn't have peppermint extract - just mint extract. It still worked but I think that it would be even better with peppermint extract. Yes, they are different. 

PIN IT!

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LIGHT 100% WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS

Recipe Revisit from here

Obviously, I can't eat these anymore because I have to eat gluten free; however, my extended family loves them so much that I am still asked to make them from time to time. 

My mom and I discovered something amazing about these this past Sunday... you can completely skip the first 2 risings! All you have to do is to make up the dough, form the rolls and let them rise for 40 minutes before you put them in the oven. They turned out perfectly and I think that some of the rolls were even bigger than when I let them rise for the extra 1 1/2 hours! 

So without those risings these take just over an hour to make from start to finish - awesome!

PIN IT!

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: I still haven't gotten any recipe recommendations! Surely you have tried something lately that you loved? Share the love with me!

Loves...Shayla

Chocolate Spinach Protein Smoothie

I have a reason for not having a picture of this most decadent and delicious of smoothie recipes. I was thinking about photographing it and looked at it and thought, "Wow... this is kind of a sickly pea green color." I felt like Linguini on Ratatouille, "Why do they call it that? If you're going to name a food it should sound delicious! Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like rat, and patootie. Ratpatootie! Which does NOT sound delicious!"

I don't want to turn you guys away with a picture of sickly pea green substance in an awful orange colored cup. Yeah... not a good idea.

This color. In a cup. Not kidding.

But, seriously, this is my favorite smoothie of all time. It is smooth, delicious and VERY filling.

I buy organic spinach in the tubs at Sam's Club. ($4.39/lb for the organic baby spinach). It is cheaper if you can get it at Costco but only slightly ($3.99). The tub is pretty big and lasts quite a while. I also get my almonds at Sam's club. At $10.89 for a 3 lb bag you just can't find them cheaper ANYWHERE.

The xanthan and guar gums are optional. The smoothie works without them but they lend a creaminess that you can't beat. It makes the smoothie take on more of a soft serve ice cream texture. You can find them online or at a local store that carries spices in bulk. (Like Winco).

CHOCOLATE SPINACH PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

A Shayla Original

Serves 2 (or 1 if you are really hungry)

See bottom of recipe for substitution options

12 ounces unsweetened almond milk 

1/4 tsp Saigon cinnamon

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large banana (very ripe)

1 huge handful baby spinach

1/8 tsp each xanthan and guar gum

2-3 cups ice

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

If you have a BLENDTEC or other high powered blender you can make your own almond milk very easily. Just put 12 ounces cold water in the jar, add 1/3 cup whole, nonsalted, nonroasted almonds, cinnamon, protein powder and the cocoa powder. Blend on WHOLE JUICE. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on SMOOTHIE.

I, personally, LOVE saigon cinnamon. You can get it at Costco or other bulk food places. If you are using normal cinnamon you might want to use a bit more since saigon cinnamon is a little bit stronger.

You can also make this without protein powder. Since I can't do sugar it is hard for me to find a protein powder that fits my needs. The only one I have found so far is Jillian Michael's Vanilla Cream Whey Protein Powder:

It is naturally sweetened with fructose and a little bit with stevia. I don't have problems with either of those so this is the ideal protein powder for me. However, they recently stopped carrying it at Sam's Club so until I can find it for a good price elsewhere or find a suitable replacement I have been making my smoothie without it. Since the protein powder lends an amount of sweetness to the smoothie on its own when I eliminate it I add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 heaping Tbsp stevia powder to my smoothie mix. If my banana isn't very ripe I add a little bit more stevia. It is wonderful either way.

This is the stevia that I use. If you use it be careful... the more you add the more of a bitter aftertaste it will have. A little bit goes a long way!

I made this smoothie this morning and gave some to my babies. My girl [A] said to me, "Mom, thank you for making this oh so delicious smoothie!" 

Happy blending!

All opinions on products listed this post are my own based on personal experience. I was not contacted by any of these companies to provide these opinions or compensated in any way. All pictures were obtained via Google Image Search on the web and Shayla's Kitchen makes no personal claim to them. 

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Do you have a favorite protein powder? Send me a link to your favorite smoothie recipe or just send me the recipe itself!

Loves... Shayla

Supper-Time "Sunday?"

So, I'm back. I know, I know. It has been a long time. But I have been evaluating and figuring out what I want to do.

I don't want to be solely a food blogger or solely a family blogger. I love health, fitness, nutrition, religion, everything. So you are going to get a little bit of everything here. I will continue to report on my family on our family blog (http://jacobshayla.blogspot.com) but here will be my more personal space where I get to share with you what I love.

So what have I been loving lately? Well for starters....

WENDY'S PROTEIN FROSTY

Recipe + photo courtesy of Janetha over at Meals & Moves

I will always be a smoothie lover. Do I realize that we just had the coldest January Utah has seen in many many years? 19 degree average temperature? Yes. Did that stop me from having a smoothie probably 4 or 5 times a week? Uhhh... no. It just didn't. I sit in bed with my heating pad on high on my stomach, under the covers, delightfully sipping away at my smoothie. 

This particular smoothie is one that I have made for the cute hubster and I a few times while we watch endless episodes of The Mentalist. Love the show? Hate it? Favorite character? Of course, we love Jane but there is just something about Cho that you have to absolutely adore. Love love love.

Anyways, back to smoothie talk. Does it taste like a Wendy's Frosty? Yeah, it is pretty close although you will need to add sweetener if you want it to be close-er. The biggest issue we had with it is that this puppy is THICK. Like, super super super trying to suck a pillow through a straw thick. 

Recommendations? Load up on the ice and go carefully on the xanthan and guar gums. They are necessary but you want an icy/creamy texture not a jaw workout. 

I will post later about my classic go-to protein smoothie. It has cute hubster approval and everything.

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Not enough of a satisfy for your sweet tooth? Well...

CHOCOLATE PB-FUDGE

Recipe + picture courtesy of Katie over at Chocolate-Covered Katie

You can be into health and fitness and nutrition and I can guarantee you are still going to want something sweet now and again. I have a sweet-tooth, no doubt. Is that complicated when I am restricted by a gluten-free/refined sugar-free diet? Oh yeah. That is why people like me RELY on people like Chocolate-Covered Katie to get our sweet-tooth satisfaction.

This fudge was everything that fudge should be. Rich, decadent, with seriously the perfect flavor. Did I change anything in the recipe intentionally? Well, no. Did I not exactly measure things out perfectly precisely? Lol... yes... but it still turned out amazing! We didn't wait to refrigerate ours. We smeared it on strawberries and enjoyed ourselves. However, cute hubster and I both agreed that we liked it better plain. 

And sometimes a spoonful of health-ier fudge is JUST what is needed at the end of the day. 

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: What are your favorite health-ier desserts? Do you watch The Mentalist?

Loves...Shayla

Flaxy Green Smoothie

Here is another delicious and nutritious smoothie recipe for you to enjoy! I absolutely loved this smoothies lime green color. The taste of the pineapple was delicious in the smoothie as well. This recipe is courtesy of the Blendtec cookbook but it can be found online at this site here: http://www.blendtec.com/recipes/view/222

FLAXY GREEN SMOOTHIE

• 2 Tbsp flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 Clementine oranges, peeled (or 1 orange, peeled)
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

Add water and flax seeds to blender and secure lid. Press "Pulse" 4-6 times. Add remaining ingredients to pitcher in the order listed above and secure lid. Blend until smooth and serve.

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SMOOTHIES!

This post is dedicated specifically to Brittany Henderson!

I discovered that one of my absolute favorite things in the world is, of course, SMOOTHIES! I am completely addicted to Jamba Juice and when we found out we were going to be getting a substantial tax return I invested in the best kitchen appliance I ever dreamed of owning:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the Blendtec Total Blender. Saw it. Loved it. Had to have it. GOT IT!!!

I have a smoothie every single day, usually for lunch as a meal replacement. And I am not talking about smoothies that are packed with sugar or sweeteners or anything. I am talking about good, nutritious, packed with health smoothies. I am talking Green here people! Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, LOTS of goodness.

It seemed rather daunting to me to dedicate several posts to different smoothies so instead I am going to give you several of my current favorites in one list. I am sorry that there aren't any pictures... but maybe I will add them later? It is hard for me to think about snapping a picture of my basic lunch... anyways... Ready? Okay let's get to the goodness!

SHAYLA'S GO-TO LUNCH SMOOTHIE

(This is the smoothie I USUALLY have for lunch every day)

1/2 cup acai juice

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (you could also throw in an apple)

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves (almost filled to the top)

Add pebble ice depending on if you want it more juicy or more smoothie-ish (you can buy it at Sonic for $1.71 a bag)

Add ingredients in order listed above and blend until smooth! Makes 1 large smoothie. (This is the direction for all smoothies, unless there is something "special" about the blending process I won't mention this again.)

SHAYLA'S ALTERNATE LUNCH SMOOTHIE

(Because right now I am out of acai...)

3/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 banana

1 6 oz. container of blueberry yogurt*

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

*Yoplait yogurt is NOT a good idea! It has SOOOO much sugar! I buy the Pure brand from Sam's Club that only has 9 basic ingredients. The best yogurt you could get would be Greek yogurt. You can also buy it in bulk at Sam's club in "flavors."

SHAYLA'S BELOVED ORANGE SMOOTHIE

3/4 cup almond milk

2 oranges, peeled and quartered

1 cup baby carrots

1/2 frozen banana, optional

(I like this just as listed but it may not be sweet enough for some people... if you want it to be sweeter then I would definitely add the banana and 1 or 2 tsp of a sweetener of your choosing. I choose Stevia.)

ORANGE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

1 orange - peel and remove seeds

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

1 cup strawberries - leave stems*

1/2 banana - peeled

1 cup ice

*Why do we leave the stems? Because they are good for you! The blender will take care of them so don't even worry about it!

GRAPE ORANGE GRAPEFRUIT SMOOTHIE

From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

2 cups grapes
1 cup orange - peeled
1/2 cup grapefruit - peeled
1 Tbsp sugar (or honey or Stevia or agave nectar... etc.)
2 cups ice

LIME KIWI SMOOTHIE
From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

2 kiwis - peeled (or not... I don't)
1 large pear - seeded
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar (This is a bit sweet for me but you can use that much of a sweetener if you want)
1/3 cup water
1 cup ice

COCO MINT SMOOTHIE
(This is a very different flavor of smoothie but it is delicious!)
From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

1/4 cup cream of coconut
1/8 cup milk
1/4 tsp mint extract
1/4 cup pineapple
1 1/2 cups ice

SLAMMIN' SUNRISE "GREEN" SMOOTHIE
From Hell if I Gnaw (Site: http://www.hellifignaw.blogspot.com/2012/02/slammin-sunrise-smoothie.html)

2 - 3 cups organic spinach
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1-2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana
2 Tbsp flaxseeds (This smoothie is still delicious without the flaxseeds, just not AS good for you. But still good for you!)

HEAVENLY BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE
From Allrecipes.com (Site:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Heavenly-Blueberry-Smoothie/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=77299861&prop26=WhatsCooking&prop27=2012-02-16&prop28=PhotoArea2&prop29=Photo_1&me=1)

• 1 frozen banana, thawed for 10 to 15 minutes
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (or normal milk)
• 1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons flax seed meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2/3 cup frozen blueberries

PINEAPPLE MANGO GREEN SMOOTHIE

From Maria at Two Peas and their Pod (Site of recipe: http://www.zupas.com/2012/02/pineapple-mango-green-smoothie/)

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 banana, frozen
1 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup of ice

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And there you have it! These are the ones we usually make or have tried recently. I will post more as I go along but I wanted to jump start with a whole list. You probably noticed the use of spinach is quite prevalent... don't be afraid! It is delicious and you really can't taste it in the smoothie. You can buy a big box at Sam's Club for about $3.50 and it is SOOOO wonderful! Do it... you know you secretly want to!

Love, Shayla