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