THINGS I AM NOT AFRAID TO TELL YOU

Yesterday I opened up about five things I am afraid to tell you. Today I thought it might be fun to list a few things I am not afraid to tell you. Things about me that are surprising to me, or just the truth of how I feel right now about a couple of things, that I have no fear to share freely. Here we go.

PAPAYAS | Have you ever had a papaya? I certainly never remember having one in my childhood, young adult life, or really anytime until about a year ago. I LOVE them. Seriously they taste so so good to me. Of course they have to be fully ripened, because if they are even slightly hard they taste like dirty socks or something terrible, but when they are ripe they magically change to this delicious, juicy, wonderful fruit that makes me so so happy.

HAWAII | Which leads me to my second point. I just want to be in Hawaii (or another tropical, fruit filled, warm, sunny place) right now. It is so cold, I don't remember the last time I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, and I could truly use a break from these bleak midwinter months. I always dream about Hawaii but am open to a variety of locations that could allow me to enjoy being outside and give me access to an abundance of ripe fresh fruit, especially if papayas are in season.

PUZZLES | Since I am not in Hawaii, I love doing a good puzzle inside. I just love puzzles a lot. I don't really know why, maybe I just love being able to focus on something so intently that hours can pass without having to have the mind in me running constantly.

HARRY POTTER | I am also reading Harry Potter right now. I am currently on book six and loving every minute. I read the whole series when I was pregnant with Kennedy and decided it would be fun to read it again with this pregnancy. They are just so so good.

PREGNANCY | I am 19 weeks along right now and seriously loving pregnancy. If you would have asked me about it 10 weeks ago I would have probably had a negative reaction, but today I am feeling so good, so thankful for the energy I have, so thankful to feel some little kicks and wiggles, so thankful to have the chance to be pregnant again, ah just so much gratitude.

THAI FOOD + INDIAN FOOD | In our first year of marriage Daniel took me to both an Indian and Thai restaurant against my will because I didn't like "those kinds" of foods. I chose the most familiar thing on the menu which was probably something like orange chicken and it was just okay. No conversion there.
Then we went to a sketchy Indian restaurant connected to a gas station with my brother and I let him choose a few things on the menu which we all shared and tried and that's when I learned about how much I love Indian food. My favorite thing to eat is Saag and it's my dream to be able to make it in our home (so far in my meager attempts it just doesn't taste the same). This experience plus eating plant-based opened me up to experience Thai food again and now I crave yellow curry all the time (also looking for an authentic, delicious recipe). If we go out to eat (and we get to choose the place) I'd say 72% of the time we choose Thai and Indian and about 15% of the time we wish we would have chosen Thai or Indian. It's just so good.

And there you have it. Just a few things in my life right now that I'm not afraid to tell you at all. If anyone out there has an amazing Saag or Yellow Curry recipe that is plant-based, or can be easily adapted to be plant-based send it my way!