Things I'm Loving Lately

These books:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

This quote from The Still Point of the Turning World by Emily Rapp:

"I realized you could not have one without the other, that this great capacity to love and be happy can be experienced only with this great risk of having happiness taken away from you-- to tremble, always, on the edge of loss."

 The Dirty Harry from Gordough's Public House in Austin, TX:

Coconut creme filled donut holes, chocolate icing and topped with fresh coconut. Served warm. I die.

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The Dirty Harry was heaven in a crock. It's been almost two weeks and I'm still thinking about this incredible dessert. 

Speaking of coconut, these are incredible. Crunchy, sweet, & slightly salted. Yum!

Dang Coconut Chips

This article about three huge mistakes we make leading our children. Thought provoking and a gentle reminder.

And finally, Miss Mustard Seed's incredible kitchen. I'm head-over-heels in love with it, especially the countertops.

What are you loving lately?

Product Review: Campbell's Go(TM) Soup-- Moroccan Style Chicken w/ Chickpeas

There's a saying about the weather in Central Texas. It goes something like this: If you don't like it, wait five minutes.

True enough as yesterday I was blasting the A/C and today it barely made it to 60 degrees. It was drizzly and cold all day long-- all I wanted was soup.

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Campbell's Go(TM) soup in the Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas variety and figured today would be perfect to try it out.

Have you seen these on the shelves? I love the design of the bright white pouches.

Initial Impression: Hmm, I'm not a huge chicken fan, but typically it's easily identifiable in most soups so I can just pick it out. Moroccan? Not sure what that flavor profile is usually, but I enjoy chickpeas and the ingredient list doesn't look too obscure, so let's give it a try. . 

What I liked: 

• It was easy enough to heat up the pouch in the microwave and I really appreciated the "cool touch" spot on the pouch to avoid burning my fingers after heating.
• Can eat out of the pouch or pour into a bowl
• Very thick consistency. The soup was hearty and satisfying. 
• The soup was well-spiced, but not spicy. It was very flavorful.
• Plentiful chickpeas
• Small pieces of pulled chicken-- nice touch, felt like it was a homemade soup
• 320 calories per pouch (of this particular flavor)
• 3 grams fat/pouch (of this particular flavor)
• 12 grams fiber & 26 grams protein (of this particular flavor)

What I didn't like:

• Strong hint of cinnamon both in smell and taste. I didn't see cinnamon on the ingredient list, so I'm not sure where this was coming from. Different and slightly off-putting, but it didn't prevent me from finishing the soup. 
• 1580 mg of sodium/pouch! (of this particular flavor)

Final thoughts: With a coupon, I'd likely buy this variety of soup again. Speaking of coupon, print your $1 off coupon here!The pouch packaging is very convenient and much more appealing to me than a can for some reason. Aside from the sodium content, I think this is a tasty & decently healthy lunch/dinner option.

Other Campbell's Go(TM) Soup Varieties:

• Golden Lentil with Madras Curry
• Creamy Red Pepper with Smoked Gouda
• Coconut Curry with Chicken & Shitake Mushrooms
• Chicken and Quinoa with Poblano Peppers
• Spicy Chorizo and Pulled Chicken with Black Beans

I was provided a sample of Campbell's Go(TM) Soups by Smiley360.com. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. 

Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list?

I was able to cross a big one off of mine a couple of years ago when my little family of three took a trip to Boston, Massachusetts. We fell head-over-heels in love with the city; it's charm and it's weather were incredible.

My favorite part of the trip was attending a game at historic Fenway Park. My husband is a huge Red Sox fan and it warmed my heart to see his eyes light up when he took in not one, but two games while we were there. He was like a kid in a candy store and it was incredibly cool.

Most of my bucket list revolves around travel-- there is so much out there I want to do and see. My main travel goal is to see all 50 states. You see, I'm not one of those people that yearns to travel to far off places. I have zero desire to travel abroad. I'd much rather explore everything this beautiful country has to offer. That's not to say that I haven't been out of the country, though. As a couple, my husband and I have taken several cruises and of all of the ports we have visited, Jamaica is at the top of our list. As soon as we got off the boat in Montego Bay, Jamaica, we ignored all of the warnings the cruise line gave us and hailed a cab. I was petrified at first, but it ended up being an incredible experience. The cab driver took us all over the city, showing us the magnificent sites, buying us Red Stripe and treating us to an all-day experience we will never forget. And all for $40! Well worth it.

There are lots of experiences and places remaining on my bucket list. Here are a few:

Attend a football game at Lambeau Field:

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See the Northern Lights:

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Visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:

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See the lights of Marfa:

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Rock in a rocking chair on the front deck of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI:

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Tour the Hawaiian Islands via the Pride of America:

See Niagara Falls:

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What fun things are on your bucket list?