I’m coming out of the closet. I have an addiction. The moment I get home, I go straight up to my room and put on something…fluffy.

I love fluffy and soft things. It’s a serious weakness.

I can say no to most everything when walking through a mall but if my skin is touched by something fuzzy. Game over. Follow me on Snapchat for funny snaps of my fuzzy finds.

I don’t think my addiction is without cause. There are (in my mind) links to scientific studies that fluff is good for me (and, therefore, good for you). 

On New Year’s Day Sunday the preacher asked who made new year’s resolutions. My hand shot up. And then I looked around…no one else made resolutions!

I was shocked. Floored.

My in-laws sitting next to me slightly raised their hands after I raised mind. Of course, during our new year’s dinner I made them make resolutions. (And after obsessively waving my arm in church with a very proud smile creased on my face I did notice a few others put their hands up tentatively.)

Does the thought of vinegar make you sour? Growing up, my mother would put apple cider vinegar on cooked spinach. Whenever I got a whiff, I would be instantly angered that someone would willingly subject me (and others) to the foulest smell in the universe. Dinner ruined.

I carried that hatred with me through college, avoiding all things vinegar.

Until I met someone who drank Bragg’s apple cider vinegar with the mother to help a hoard of health issues she had. HAD being the big word. Doctor after doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. She had headaches and digestive problems. Soon she turned to natural remedies and found apple cider vinegar to work wonders for her health.

I tried it…well that is to say, I tried trying it. Couldn’t get past the first sip of the ice cold water with a splash of ACV (apple cider vinegar for short). 

Christmas shopping gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved being able to have an excuse to spend money on gifts that I think my friends and family will enjoy. On the other, shopping malls give me headaches.

I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed black Friday shopping…and yet I somehow find myself in bumper to bumper traffic each time. I guess I like the thought of getting the best deal out there but the reality is less than desirable.

And with the onslaught of e-commerce it’s really no longer necessary to even leave the house to get the best deal. So for those who want to do all their Christmas shopping at home in their housecoats, here’s my list of the best Christmas gifts for 2016 to give to your friends and loved ones.

Disclaimer: After extensive research on the best mattresses for side sleepers and reading numerous mattress-in-a-box reviews, my husband and I decided we wanted to try CRaVE mattress. We did contact the company and asked if we could receive a free mattress, foundation and bedframe in exchange for our honest review of their mattress. They agreed and sent us this mattress. This is not a sponsored post, all opinions are our own.

How to Sleep Better

Sleep is such a critical part to healthy living. Sleep helps heal your heart and blood vessels. Sleep repairs your muscles (that’s why professional athletes sleep so much). And sleep decreases your risk of disease, diabetes and stroke. The benefits of getting consistent, high quality sleep have been proven over and over again and researchers are still finding more reasons why getting those 8 hours a night is critical!

Our basil is huge this summer! Basil is my favorite herb to grow. It’s pretty hardy and can be used in so many recipes. You can even use the flowers on basil plants for tea or to dress up a salad.

Since we have so much basil (and I hate seeing good things go to waste), I decided to try my hand at a few pesto recipes. A classic pesto recipe calls for olive oil, basil leaves, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. But I wanted something different. So here’s my nutty pesto recipe, which you can add to chicken, asparagus and sweet potatoes like I did or even just freeze in ice trays and save for any future recipe you need a little pesto for.

Want more delicious, healthy recipes? Sign up for my newsletter to get them delivered to your inbox!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil leaves
2-3 tablespoons of almond oil (olive oil also works)
1 garlic clove, mashed
2-3 tablespoons of cashews and/or walnuts
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 chicken breasts (I prefer organic, like Bell & Evans chicken), cut into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch of asparagus, chop into bite sized pieces
1 sweet potato, skinned and chopped into bite sized pieces

*This recipe makes enough for 2-3 people.

Directions:

In a medium sized pot, bring to a boil about 3 cups of water (or just enough to cover the bottom with about an inch of water). Place cut and peeled sweet potatoes in pot and cover with lid. I use a stack and steam pot so while the sweet potatoes are steaming below, I place in the upper part the cut asparagus. Occasionally check the water on the bottom part as it cooks to make sure it doesn’t run out and start burning the potatoes.

In a food processor, add the garlic, basil leaves, oil, parmesan cheese and nuts. Blend till all mixed together and it forms a paste. Viola! You got pesto!

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat place some olive oil and then your chopped chicken. Occasional stir till pieces are evenly cooked.

Check the asparagus about 5 minutes after the water started boiling. Try a piece (but don’t burn your mouth) to make sure it’s cooked (should have a bright green look and a slight crunch, if it’s mushy you cooked too long). The sweet potatoes will most likely be done about 5-10 minutes after the water started boiling as well. To test, use a fork to poke into one of the pieces. It should go through the middle easily (you don’t want the sweet potato to be too soft…we’re not making mashed!) Drain the water.

By now the chicken should be done. Cut one piece in half with a fork to make sure it’s cooked through. Drain out any juices in the skillet from the chicken (I like to use the lid to cap over but just a sliver on the bottom for the juices to pour out but you keep the chicken in the skillet). Add the asparagus, sweet potato and pesto. Give a few good stirs and then serve.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for Chicken and Zoodle Recipe

1 carrot, spiralized
2 zucchinis, spiralized
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 of a red or white onion, sliced
Opt: 8oz of shitake mushrooms, rinsed
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced or crushed
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
Opt: Sprinkle of chili flakes, sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

*See below for a paleo friendly version of this teriyaki sauce.

Cooking Directions

Step 1: Cook chicken over medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder towards the end of cooking. Spriralize the carrot and zucchinis while the chicken cooks. Cut up chicken after it’s cooked.

Step 2: In a saute pan over medium heat, add a few teaspoons of olive oil and then add the spiralized zucchini and onion. Cook stirring constantly till zucchini becomes loose and begins to lose its stiff shape. Add the shitake mushrooms and any other veggies you would like to add (this meal is very versatile). Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey and cornstarch together. Feel free to add the chili flakes if you like spice.

Step 3: Once the veggies are cooked (only 3 minutes or so), add the chicken back into the pan along with the teriyaki sauce you just made. Stir till the sauce gets thick and evenly coats everything. Top with sesame seeds, crushed peanuts and the spiralized carrots.

Paleo Friendly Zoodle Recipes

My husband and I just finished the Paleo diet. (I include myself in this statement out of default, I did the Paleo diet only because I was too lazy to cook different food for myself every night while my husband was on it.)

For those who don’t know, the Paleo diet is based off of eating like cave men who were hunters and gatherers. This means you only eat vegetables, meat, beans, nuts and seeds. You can’t eat dairy, fruit (though this is really based on our version of Paleo), sugar, wheat and anything processed.

Now before you freak out and call me a hypocrite for using the word paleo in an article that uses soy sauce as an ingredient. This section is to revise the above recipe to be paleo friendly.

It’s really quite simple, just switch out soy sauce for coconut amino and instead of cornstarch use tapioca flour. 

Side note, I love teriyaki sauce. As a kid, I would go to this Japanese steak house and get a big bowl of pineapple doused in teriyaki sauce. Yeah, I was a weird kid.

But teriyaki is very versatile and making it the paleo friendly way cuts out the unhealthy aspects of it. So go ahead! Eat your teriyaki chicken and zoodles guilt-free!