Hello readers! Tina here. I have certainly been missing you all. We are at the closing days of the guest posts. I really hope you loved reading them as much as I did when receiving them. I will back to regularly scheduled blogging starting Monday night! Please continue supporting all the awesome bloggers who helped me out, like today’s guest blogger – Katie from Dashing Dish. Love you all!

1. Give a brief description of your blog.

The name of my blog is Dashing Dish. The main purpose for my blog is to share healthy and delicious recipes that I have created over the years.

I also share ideas and techniques from my personal experiences of getting in shape while still eating the foods I love! Dashing Dish is all about inspiring people to get fit and healthy for life and actually enjoy doing it!

2. What does blogging do for you? Why do you enjoy it?

For me, blogging is a way of sharing my passion for cooking, as well as the other areas that I am passionate about, such as my relationship with God, fitness, and nutrition.

I am also a Registered Nurse, which has further sparked my passion to teach people how to get healthy, in a way that is realistic and maintainable for life!

3. What is your favorite food? Nutritional value does not matter, so choose anything!

I truly enjoy anything that is sweet and salty! I guess that is why I love anything that has both chocolate and peanut butter! The saltiness of the peanut butter combined with the sweetness of the chocolate is pure heaven to me!

4. What is your favorite type of workout? Why do you love it?

My favorite type of workout has actually just recently changed! It used to be a group workout called Turbo Kick, but I recently discovered another great group workout called Body Pump.

Body Pump is a choreographed workout that focuses on strength training and endurance moves that are set to the beat of music! I love this workout because it challenges me, and I always leave feeling like I have accomplished a great workout!

5. What is a current goal you are working towards?

Well, I am currently, (and always will be) working towards building the strength of my ‘spiritual’ being. (I say always will be, because it is a constant growth process!)

I do this by spending time reading and meditating on the Word of God, instead of the thinking about what society and people have to say about who I am, or what I should be!

It can be tough at times to change a mindset that is being persuaded by everything around me, but I know from experience that it is the truth of God’s Word that sets us free! (Amen!!!! – Tina)

6. What is something important that you have overcome, are working towards overcoming, or hope to overcome one day?

I am in a constant pursuit of trying to overcome selfishness! It is my goal to focus on others more, and less on my own needs and desires.

7. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

I would have to say, my favorite quote is a bible verse! It’s the verse that has brought me through some of the hardest times in my life so far, and it is Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not onto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

8. What are some things on your "Bucket List"?

I would love to have at least 2 children, teach a cooking class, and start my own business!

9. What is something you know now that you wish you knew 5-10 years ago?

Oh my gosh, so much! But the main 2 things would be...

That you are not what you weigh, and don’t be shy! In my opinion, (and this is coming from a girl that was painfully shy growing up), shyness is the ultimate form of ‘selfishness’, because all you are thinking about is yourself, and what others think of you! How silly is that when you think about it!

10. Name one crazy, random fact about you.

I have a double-jointed pinky finger! 🙂

11. If you won the lottery, what would be your first big purchase?

A huge home for my parents, on the water...That has always been their dream, and it is the least I could do in return for all they have done for my 2 sisters and I!

12. List 5 of your favorite things.

1. My Bible~ It’s my source of wisdom!

2. My Husband

3. My Family

4. My Body~ It’s healthy and strong!

5. Peanut butter and whip cream!

Question from Tina…What is something you have overcome or are working to overcome?

Hey everyone! I have another guest post for you all to enjoy…ya know, while I’m living it up at the beach. Or as much as you can live it up without a beloved margarita. 😉 This is a guest post from Melinh, the blogger behind Sweet and Sweat.

1. Give a brief description of your blog.

Hello everyone! I’m Melinh and I blog over at sweetandsweat.com. I like to think of it as a semi-vegetarian’s attempt to eat healthy during college (and hopefully beyond)! I’m currently training for a half marathon, hence the sweat part in the website, and I have a serious addiction to anything sweet! Mmm pinkberry…

2. What does blogging do for you? Why do you enjoy it?

I think blogging is extremely cathartic. It lets me release anything I’m feeling, sometimes stress, sadness, but mostly hunger. What can I say; I’m a hungry college girl! I love blogging because it really lets me share my thoughts/beliefs/food to the whole world. I’ve met some amazing people through it and I love reading blogs too!

3. What is your favorite food? Nutritional value does not matter, so choose anything!

Oh my this is a hard question! My favorite food has to be either cereal or mangos. I’m going to go with mangos. I love getting my hands messy and scraping the skin with my teeth. Plus I love having a favorite food that isn’t expensive so I can eat it whenever I’m craving it.

4. What is your favorite type of workout? Why do you love it?

I really love running. Besides blogging, I find running liberating. It puts me in a state of relaxation that no other workout has put me through (besides the last 5 minutes of a yoga class). But I also love running because I never thought I would be able to do it again. When I was 14 I was part of my high school’s cross country team and loved it. During the middle of the season I had severe pneumonia which triggered some hidden asthma in my lungs. I felt weak, slow and pretty gross after I recovered from pneumonia because asthma was a whole obstacle I had to deal with. So, I hid behind asthma as my excuse for not exercising for four years. It wasn’t until I was 18 when I started to slowly bring back running into my life and I haven’t looked back!

5. What is a current goal you are working towards?

Training for a half marathon! I’m so thrilled to run the SF Half in July and I’ve loved training for it. Besides the races I competed while in cross country, this is my first real race. I’m excited…and so nervous!

6. What is something important that you have overcome, are working towards overcoming, or hope to overcome one day?

I’ve had some serious insecurities about my body. Last year, I thought that because I was vegetarian, I was eating healthy. Wrong! I was eating chips every day, bowls of cereal (3-4), just all around bad stuff that I thought was healthy because they were vegetarian. I do not think cereal or chips are horrible foods, but the amount I was eating every day was pretty bad. I looked at pictures of myself and realized I gained a good 10-15 pounds, and I’m only 5’2” so it was pretty noticeable, especially in my face.

I knew that these eating habits had to change. I started to eat more healthy foods and snacked on apples or other fruit rather than a whole canister of Pringles. I guess my obstacle was to actually realize that something had to change. I kept on denying my unhealthy habits and just thought the weight would fall off on its own. Actually making the change towards a healthier lifestyle was pretty hard. Chips are soo yummy but I learned that so are carrots and hummus!

7. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

“It doesn’t matter what country someone’s from or what they look like…each person deserves to be treated like a person.” Jemaine, Flight of the Conchords. Any quote from Jemaine is a winning one.

8. What are some things on your "Bucket List"?

In no particular order….: Go to Antarctica and play with the penguins (or are there polar bears?); Run the Princess Marathon; adopt a beagle; eat at a place Man vs. Food has eaten at; and go vegan for a week. I kind of want to do a Man vs. Food challenge first, though!

9. What is something you know now that you wish you knew 5-10 years ago?

I would tell my 15 year old self to not stress about getting into college so much. “Enjoy high school and life” is probably would I recommend to her. Also, “Don’t get hung up over high school boys” would’ve helped!

10. Name one crazy, random fact about you.

When I was little, I used to wake up early to eat the salt off of goldfish. I also chewed on boxes. I swear, I don’t do that anymore! But I still have an appetite!

11. If you won the lottery, what would be your first big purchase?

This is going to sound cliché, but I would buy my parents a new car. My dad is retired and my mother is about to retire and they want to travel the U.S of A. A new car would help, I think. Oh and I would totally buy myself a plane ticket to Spain, grab a bite of paella, and then fly home.

12. List 5 of your favorite things.

1. My dogs.

2. Vaseline. It’s just so practical!

3. Forks, because I will never get used to chopsticks. Ever.

4. Chocolate. No need for an explanation of why this is one of my favorite things!

5. Last but not least, sunsets. Ahhh!

Question from Tina…If you won the lottery, what would be your first big purchase? Mine would without a doubt be a new house!!! I love our house, but I would not be opposed to a newer one. After that would be TRAVELING!