This is the true story of a small-town girl who picked to live in a big city, and put her life on social media, to find out what happens when she starts a blog and sh*t starts getting real. Thank YOU for coming along on this journey with me around the sun. It’s that time of year to rest…and reflect on our epic presence. Yes, YOUR epic presence, too. Whether 2018 seemed like the best year yet or pretty meh, I promise there is a lot to be grateful for. Sometimes you just need to look a bit hard. Read on for the positive affirmations I’ll be taking with me into 2019 and tips on setting your best intentions for another amazing year.

Holy Nikes 2018 was a BIG year! I took a leap of faith 8 months ago and launched The Shooks Life. I traded teaching spin for exploring more fitness gems across the city, started developing my own recipes and actually made it in the top 20 for a national recipe contest (recipe here) and started simplifying my life by moving from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment. And that my friends, is going to continue to be my mantra for 2019: Do more things that set you free, and less that hold you down.

Here are the affirmations that will be my guiding light in 2019:

1.) Let’s STOP priding ourselves in how busy we are and START bragging about how little we have to do.

2.) Let’s START making room for things that matter and STOP adding things that don’t.

3..) Let’s STOP making oodles of resolutions we won’t keep and START taking action towards one.

4.) Let’s START being content with what we have and STOP being envious of the things we don’t.

5.) Let’s STOP the outward comparison and START the obsession with loving ourselves.

Now it’s your turn to put your mark on 2019. What will your legacy be in the coming year? And if “legacy” feels a bit over dramatic, think about how your recap will read at the end of next year. Getting started is the first step. Your welcome. Genius, I know. Read on for a few less obvious steps to setting your intentions for an epic 2019.

Setting Up 2019 to Be the Most Epic Year, Yet!

Step 1: Envision your best day ever. What time do you wake up? Where are you? Who are you with and what do you do that makes your heart swell? If you’re working, what are you doing? How would you sustain this lifestyle? Details matter! Write that sh*t down.

Step 2: What values light you up? What are the words or feelings that describe your best day ever? These are the values that you seek. For me, it was “Free”, “Inspired” “Challenged” and “Connected”. Try to keep it to single words, active words to drive specificity and focus.

Step 3: Create a mood board. Yes, this will require either the old school approach of cutting out pictures from magazines or using the Google images search. Include images that reflect your best day every and those values. This will serve two purposes: 1.) it can be a reminder throughout the year of your goals and 2.) ask someone else to look at the mood board and describe it to see if there’s any values you may have missed. Perhaps someone else will look at your board and say ‘woah’ there’s a lot of movement and activity. Maybe you’re someone who needs to live an “Active” life. Or maybe it’s the polar opposite and exuding “Calm” is your thing.

Step 4: Set 3 goals that will help you live those values. First Goal: How can you exude those values today, in your current profession? What more can you do within the present constraints? Second Goal: How could you exude those values tomorrow, perhaps in another profession or role? What would you being doing outside of the present constraints to sustain a life you love? Third Goal: How could you exude those values without any constraints? What if money was endless and you could do whatever you wanted, wherever you wanted, with whomever you wanted?

Step 5: Make a game plan. Write down at least three specific steps that will help you achieve each of those goals. What ACTIONS do you need to take to get closer to those goals? What RESOURCES do you need to get there? WHO can help you get there? Be specific, action-oriented and set deadlines for each of those steps. I know, dreaded deadlines. But if it’s not measurable, there isn’t accountability. And YOU are the only one that is in charge of your future. So take charge! If it’s helpful, use the START, STOP and CONTINUE framework. What do you need to START doing, what should you STOP doing and what should you CONTINUE to do to achieve these goals?

Now start setting those intentions! Cheers to living, breathing and ACTING upon these mantras in 2019! And if you ever need accountability, your girl has your back! Feel free to comment below with your goals or one thing you’ll stop, start and continue below. Writing it down is the first step towards accountability.

Thanks again for coming along on this journey.

There is SO MUCH MORE to come in 2019!

The post Here’s Looking at You, 2018! appeared first on The Shooks Life.

My favorite color is fall. If that’s cheating, then lock me away in a forest filled with leaves of every color and a year’s supply of squash, apples and pumpkin everything. As much as I love summer, there’s nothing like crispy, cool fall weather to get you in the mood for all the comfort foods. While the leaves haven’t hit their peak yet in Chicago, this squash is definitely picking up the slack with vibrant hues of greens, oranges and heaven-sent gold. Whether a special occasion or just a dinner in, this recipe isn’t nearly as complicated it looks and is sure to impress! Get toasty with this delightful Quinoa, Kale & Apple Stuffed Squash recipe below and get the lowdown on all the produce that fall has to offer.

Sunday nights I always like to try out new recipes. And this weekend, I was feeling extra fall. We visited Jack’s Pop-Up Pumpkin Saturday night – 2 acres of fall adventure on Goose Island in the heart of Chicago. I was skeptical about the corn maze, but it was pretty legit. The husks were strung together in dense clusters that came pretty close to the real deal. Loads of carved pumpkins, hot cider (with some adult additions) and carnival games filled the space. While the corn maze was impressive, the cover was still a bit atrocious for basically an outdoor-themed bar. We got our fall fill though without having to drive an hour out to the ‘burbs though.

I often get my inspiration from perusing the grocery story for what looks interesting and seasonal. This is also why Whole Foods is called “whole paycheck”. On this trip, the carnival squash caught my eye with all of the bright splattered colors. I’d never heard of a carnival squash, but I’m always up for trying new things, so assumed I’d figure out what to do with it – or use it as fall decor! Here’s what I learned about the plethora of winter squash after a little sleuthing:

According to Specialty Produce, Carnival Squash is actually a hybrid of sweet dumpling and acorn squash. The strips are due to seasonal temperature changes, with warmer temperatures resulting in more green striping. The flesh is slightly sweet and nutty, reminiscent of butternut squash. It’s ripe with nutrients like potassium, Vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, folate and both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Basically, a total powerhouse!

If you’re not able to find Carnival Squash, you can also sub Acorn Squash in this recipe. This squash is similarly small, but primarily deep green on the exterior and shaped like (surprise surprise) an acorn.  It has a mild nutty flavor that makes it highly versatile. It’s just as dense with nutrients like potassium, Vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous and calcium.

The other parental half of Carnival Squash is sweet Dumpling Squash, which is similar in size, but primarily pale yellow on the exterior with some green striping and a pale yellow interior flesh. It’s also milder in flavor than a butternut squash, but slightly sweet with a flavor most like a combination of sweet corn and sweet potatoes.  It contains a wealth of nutrients including Vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, thiamin and beta-carotene.

My mom loved to roast acorn squash with butter and brown sugar growing up. I wasn’t particularly adventurous as a kid though, so I never really picked up on this. Also, I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar since it’s so addictive in nature and wreaks havoc on blood sugar. So for this recipe, I went savory with some of my other favorite fall produce: honey crisp apples. For a little protein, I added quinoa to this stuffing (which I always cook in broth to add more flavor) and chicken sausage, which is a bit leaner than standard pork sausage. You can certainly forgo the chicken sausage if you’re vegetarian or vegan, but I’d suggest adding some pecans for crunch and added protein (otherwise the stuffing paired with the squash can be a bit soft all around in texture and not very interesting to the palette). Whenever I make a recipe, I like it to be flavorful, full of texture and to draw you in with delicious scents. The fresh herbs stir all the senses and will your home with all the fall smells, so I’d encourage you not to skip out!

Quinoa, Kale & Apple Stuffed Squash
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
– 2 carnival, acorn, delicata or dumpling squash (carnival shown)
– 1 C of quinoa
– 1 1/2 C of water or broth of choice
– 1 lb  of chicken sausage (or sub for pecans if vegetarian)
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1 onion, small diced
– 1 C of chopped apple (1-2 apples)
– 1 bunch of Lacinato kale, torn (or sub for spinach)
– 1 T of fresh rosemary, chopped
– 1 tsp of fresh thyme, chopped
– 2-4 tsp olive oil or ghee
– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Rub the flesh of each half with a bit of olive oil or ghee and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray a sheet pan or baking dish with oil of choice or lay parchment paper over the sheet. Place the squash on the pan flesh side down and bake until tender, approximately 20-30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce it with a fork. Remove from the oven.
Step 2: While the squash cooks, make the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa and add to a small sauce pan along with the water or broth (broth will add more flavor). Turn the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa fluffs up.
Step 3: While the quinoa cooks, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil or ghee to a frying pan.  Turn the heat to medium and add the diced onion. Cook until browned and translucent. Add the garlic to the pan, cooking for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant, stirring frequently so you don’t burn it. Add the chicken sausage. Use a spatula to break up the sausage into crumbles, cooking until just browned. Scoop the chicken sausage from the pan into a medium bowl. In the same pan, add another teaspoon of olive oil or ghee. Place the chopped apples and herbs in the pan and allow to cook a few minutes until the apples are softened, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cooking for a few minutes until slightly wilted.
Step 4: Turn your oven broiler on high. Add the apple, kale and herb mixture to the medium bowl, mixing with the chicken sausage and onions. Add the quinoa to the bowl, mixing until combined. Place a heaping scoop or two of the mixture into the cavity of each of the squash halves (you likely will have extra). Put back in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the top gets nice and toasty.

Now go out and impress your friends with something that looks super fancy, but is actually super easy!

The post Fall-ing for Fall Foods & Festivities appeared first on The Shooks Life.