Thanks to everyone that stayed through the tech issues on the Livestream yesterday, it looks like the replay is working on a computer now and not on a phone. If you weren't able to join yesterday or couldn't get it to work you can always post questions here anytime and I (and others) will do our best to answer them!
We are headed to lunch today with some of our new friends here in Spain. It's a beautiful day here in Madrid and outdoor dining is very popular! Getting a table for 8 people at a prime dining time is very hard here (and our friend made the reservation). I knew we couldn't be too picky about the type of restaurant considering the circumstances.
The restaurant is a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant and the idea is that you get several small plates of food to share amongst everybody. That type of restaurant is typically difficult for us as carnivores as many of the plates are not things that we we eat. In these situations I try to be as proactive as possible and plan ahead so that I can inevitably go with the flow.
Chris and I have already looked at the menu online to see what our food options might be and then with the language barrier what we think could be easily adjusted to work for us. We also have talked about potentially eating before we go so we aren't really hungry, but have decided that we'll just eat what we can there and then plan a larger dinner this evening in case we don't eat very much.
In situations like this, we have to remind ourselves that the people that we are with and the circumstances that we are in are much more important than the actual food that we get to eat. I'm confident there's going to be some meat and cheeses and a couple other things that we can have. But overall I'm not going into this meal expecting to come out really full or even getting my money's worth. 😂😂
But all that being said, it really takes the stress and pressure off of me finding the right thing to eat when I know that the whole point of this meal is not about the food, it's about the experience and the people. Being in situations where I have no idea what and when I'm going to be able to eat is really stressful for me. So feeling very prepared and having some backup plans is how I can go into a situation like this very relaxed and enjoy my time not worrying about the food.
Do you ever look at the menus online before you go to a restaurant? 😂😂 I hope you have a great day!!
I don't typically love cooking with cast iron, despite the excellent results they can bring. It's messy and smells up the house. Add to that, the one we have is super old and not very good. We were recently gifted a really good one from Lancaster Cast Iron so today I decided to give it a try. We have a side burner on our Weber so I could do it outside. I sous vide a steak, then seared it in tallow on the new pan. Man it was incredible. What a difference it made from our old one. Super easy clean up too. Below is the pan, of course I forgot to take a picture of the steak haha.
Do you love using cast iron? What are some favorites you make in them?
Yesterday we surprised the kids and brought home a puppy!! They have been begging for one for years and we felt like the time was right to bring one home.
Meet Angus 🐕 He's a Golden Retriever/King Charles Cavalier Spaniel mix. He's 11 weeks old and currently weighs about 8 pounds, he should be around 35 pounds fully grown. I know it will be an adjustment for a while as he gets potty trained etc but we are so excited. 😂 Wish us luck! 🤪
Cheese is good! I ate a block of chipotle oven baked cheese with lunch yesterday and it was divine. I love it, but know that it halts any progress I'm making, and will even trigger eating in excess to where I'll gain weight. It's sad but I have accepted it. If I eat it in small quantities with a meal, it's ok, but I really have to work to keep it in check.
What's your favorite cheese? How do you incorporate it? Do you see negative results when eating it?
Happy Friday!! We are supposed to have a VERY rainy weekend here in Arizona, which is very rare for us. It might even mean that trick or treating is cancelled. 🎉😂 I always trade the kids for their candy anyway so fine by me if we don't even have to go out. Plus Penelope said she's too old for trick or treating and said she'll just skip it and take the money. 🤪😂
Other than that and church we have no plans this weekend, which I am excited about after a busy week. I might go get a day pass at a new gym that has a fancy steam room/sauna and cold plunge.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Happy Friday Evening Family!!
(Oh No! she's back!!) Sing some praises with me; the 2026 harvest is out of the field!! Farmer Hubby finished the corn today, the end in the rain. He ended up leaving a few rows in the field due to wet spots and steep new terraces; but the rest is out, including where the creek flooded and left logs/limbs. He got those picked up today.
You have no idea how grateful and relieved we are. This harvest kicked our behinds. We are getting older and the push and stress were something else. But now we're done. He'll clean up the combine and grain cart and truck and store them away for winter over the next few days/week. Then we'll concentrate on getting the cattle home and then winterizing what needs to be winterized.
Anywho... just wanted to report in that I'll be more "here."
Accountablility
Fresh air/sunshine/exercise/sleep
Not much/none (rain)/walking while doing errands/terrible with leg cramps for several hours.
Food
M1: Coffee and a chicken meat stick
M2: Carnivore...
Good Evening Y'all!! Day 30 of dairy free except butter and no eggs. Day 20 of no coffee. I have almost made it through my first goal. Starting a new goal Sunday. Y'all today was hard. I don't know why I craved so many sweets today. But I stayed strong because I don't want to botch my progress. I forgot to log my 6 little snackum' dill pickles tonight with dinner.
Here's my stats for the day.
