Clean Coco

My calendar tells me it's Autumn! Oh- thank goodness! Autumn is my favorite season. It's the season in which I got married to my best friend, the season in which both my man cubs were born. It's just my favorite!   On Facebook my friends are talking about cooler weather & posting pictures of their pumpkin spice lattes, I think quite a few of us are just ready for a change of season & all the goodies that come with it!

Last night my youngest man cub "B" and I were downtown for a lecture (more on that later) and I noticed a little chill in the breezy air. Not quite chilly enough for a sweater, but just enough chill to give me an excuse to make hot chocolate when we got back home. (not to mention the theatre was Cold!!) I don't make just any hot chocolate though, I like my hot coco CLEAN!

Now, I am not a religious clean eater, but I try my best. It just makes sense to want to eat foods that are minimally processed and sweetened as naturally as possible. I could step on a soap box here about we are what we eat, etc, etc...but I'll save that for another day (also because as I type this I am drinking a Dr. Pepper... so I don't judge) but a few years ago I found a great clean eating blog, Tiffany at http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/ has been one of my go to resources for clean eating recipes and tricks. I honestly can say that I have not been disappointed with any of her recipes- some I make again & again. One of which is hot chocolate. I challenge you to read this ingredient list and then compare it with store bought hot chocolate- and then ask yourself why you'd ingest that??  

It's not so chilly today in Savannah, in fact it's a wet & balmy 78 right now, but those cooler temps are coming so I'd like to share this with you.   http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-hot-chocolate/
As I do with many recipes, I have modified this one to suit our taste, but I credit Tiffany with this original. For example, I use a little more milk than 2 cups and I use ancho chili pepper instead of cayenne (they both are awesome though!)  This is so simple to make and is sooo scrummy on a chilly day! I hope you will give it a try.

Many blessings to you & yours!
Sarah

Hot Summer Cure

Our weather here on the coast this summer has been pretty darn nice, in fact by Low Country standard is been quite lovely!  We have been graced with low to mid 90's and bearable humidity. Other than the over abundance of rain, we have had a mild summer.
However, the last week or so seems to really be sticking it to us and making us get on our knees and beg for fall! We are still hovering in the upper, upper 90s well into the evening and the rain only seems to make it worse. Not only is the humidity level raising, but it feels like someone is turning on a radiator...hot, sticky and nasty. It's feeling not quite so lovely any more!

This guy to my left is my kitty- Le Chat Gris- and even he has been letting us know how hot it is. I caught him laying under his favorite Willow Oak panting away.

When it gets this hot there is only one cure, one thing to do...(other than drink my body weight in sweet tea)...I head on out to the beach! We are so lucky to be a stones throw (ok, a few throws) from several gorgeous beaches. Tybee Island is our closest and I do love Tybee, but sometimes I just like to head south to the Golden Isles. One of my favorite spots is St. Simon's Island. It is truly one of Georgia's jewels!          

     What a perfect spot to take a time out from the sweltering heat of summer! Not only is the island and town of St. Simon's a neat little place, but the 7 miles of beautiful beach is the perfect place to take young kids. There are very few waves, lots of wading water and wide open spaces perfect for wearing out the little ones! For me, I just like to sink my chair in the surf watch people riding by on their bikes and let all my cares and stress drift away with the sounds of the rolling tide. It's such a peaceful place to be. I just love it!

 

 Now  I have never done any beach combing on St. Simon's, but have heard some treasures can be found. (typically beach combing requires an early wake up call...I am not known for being a morning person. Nope.)  But what I love to capture on my walks are the works of art in the sand- I have so, so many pictures of the sand beautifully carved and sculpted by the tide. God's art. This picture may not be a school book photograph, but I love the way it gives a glimpse of a lazy day on St. Simon's, someone taking a stroll, someone fishing and the sailboat on the horizon. Doesn't it just make you feel good to look at it?

I will share a lot more about St. Simon's as the days and weeks go on- I venture down there whenever I can and am always on the lookout for new discoveries. I hope you enjoyed this little trip to the beach!

Blessings to you & yours!
Sarah

Jones Street with a View

    I love when people ask me how we ended up in Savannah. It is a long story that started in 1995...I don't often like to bore people with it, so most of the time I just ask them to take a look around and ask me how I didn't end up in Savannah. I have lived in many towns, some big, some small, but none of them compare to Savannah. Yes, there are good things and there are bad things here- sad as it is, it is like that in so many great towns- but the spirit of this place & it's people is simply amazing! I love that after being here for 3 years (just) I Still carry my camera with me wherever I go and I Still find things that make me stop and say "Wow- I live in a beautiful place".

   Take for example this beautiful scene I happened upon while walking back to my car after a client showing. Jones Street. O lovely, lovely Jones Street. This street just oozes history and charm with it's gorgeous trees, cobblestones and the houses- oh my goodness, the houses...I never tire of ohhhing and ahhing at the architecture of the homes built in the 18th & 19th centuries. Walking down this street makes me feel as though I have stepped back in time! 


   I just love how the late-afternoon sun is peeking through the trees and highlighting our beautiful flag. And look at all those flags proudly on display...makes my patriotic heart proud. Wow- how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place!

    If you've ever been to Savannah, I hope you have enjoyed the views of this stunningly, gorgeous street. If you have not made it to Savannah yet, be sure to put a stroll on this street on your bucket list.  Also on Jones Street are such goodies as the famous Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (which, I am ashamed to say that I have not tried as of yet) and Clary's Café ( the eggs benedict are my favorite!). I have lost count of the antique shops and cute shops tucked away along this street, but I will gladly do a recount! 

   I hope you enjoy this little view and I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Sarah Cate

   

Happy Savannahversary To Me!

Hello and Welcome to my Life on the Savvy Coast!

    How fitting it is that my first post for this blog marks a very special day in mine and my family's life- it is our 3rd Savannahversary! It's hard to believe that it was 3 years ago that we made our way down I-95 with a car full of kids & furbabies to the place we had dreamed about making our home for years & years. And let me tell you, we are still so happy to be here and we continue to fall more in love with Savannah and the surrounding area!

   I'd like to use this first post to introduce myself and outline my "plan" with this blog. Well, my name is Sarah. I have been married to my hubby for 20 years (this fall!), we have two amazing (and no, I am not biased) sons, 19 and 16. Our eldest is a sophomore in college and our bab youngest is a junior in high school. I will most likely have posts where I gush endlessly over them, they truly are amazing young men and I am quite the proud Mommy- there is your fair warning.

   I am a Realtor here in Savannah and I am just blessed to be able to have a job that I truly love. I get to work with some amazing people and I love the challenges that we get to work through together. It's a wonderful life learning experience for sure. While I most likely won't bring my job to the blog too often, I am sure there will be times where I just have to share a learning experience. Feel free to ask me any questions related to real estate though, I am more than happy to answer!

   When I am not working I like to pursue my hobbies. (Is taking a nap a hobby?) I enjoy photography. No, I love photography. It's a passion that was passed on to me by my grandfather. I will post countless photos. I love to eat cook. Ok, I love to eat. Savannah has some awesome restaurants to keep me entertained! Thankfully it is a gorgeous sitting with lots of walking tours to keep me fit! Exploring. My hubby & I and even still our kids, like to explore the area in and around Savannah. And there is so much to explore- it's just an amazing place!  Oh and reading, big book nerd here! And blogging of course.

   My blog "plan". (insert laughter here) Ummmm...I don't really have one! This is my 3rd blog. My first was strictly for photography while we lived in Hawaii. My 2nd blog was short-lived as I found between raising kids, attempting to be a good wife and working 40+ hours a week- there was just no time for blogging or much of anything mentioned in the previous paragraph! A year and 1/2 later and I am at a place where there is balance and peace and finally time to pursue those little things in life. Life on the Savvy Coast is good, I love where I am and I just have to desire to share it with the world! I thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy your time here.

Many blessings!
~Sarah~