I don’t do April Fools. I think my father tainted it for me the year he set all the clocks wrong and woke us up to run around the house getting ready for school at 2 am. I assure you there will be no April Fool’s pranks in this post. Instead, I will happily recap my day and the joke or no joke moments that ensued.

Upon arriving to spin, our instructor informed us she planned an easy ride for the day. Joke. She promptly informed us that was her April Fools on us and then laughed an evil laugh. Needless to say, I left class drenched in sweat. No Joke.

Isn’t it spring? Joke, apparently. The weather this morning still had quite the chill to it. However, that didn’t stop me from satisfying my cravings for a yogurt bowl for breakfast.

I coupled a container of pineapple Chobani yogurt with strawberries, coconut, and a couple of large handfuls of Cheerios. It was tasty. No joke.

After breakfast, I took a long and peaceful hot shower. Joke. I have two kids hanging with me remember? Within two minutes of hopping in I had Braedon fussing for some random reason and Makenzie telling him to “Stop it! I reading, BraeDON!” There was absolutely nothing peaceful about that shower. And keeping your eye on two kids while scrubbing with soap will inevitably leave your eyes stinging. It all turned out okay, though. I did finally get myself dressed in “real” clothes after my shower for the first time in almost a week. No joke. It felt so good to break out of the yoga pants rut!

My breakfast held me over for a long time. Joke. I knew I needed more fat in the meal to fill my belly! I was ready for lunch just a short 2ish hours later, so I whipped up a very satisfying meal.

I cooked some mushrooms and spinach together, scrambled an  egg, and tossed it all together with some goat cheese in a wrap. I had an apple and some carrots with hummus to round out the meal. Actually, my spoonful of peanut butter afterwards rounded out the meal. Peanut butter makes an excellent post-lunch dessert. No joke.

I think I am finally over my goat cheese kick. Joke. Who are you kidding?! I just can’t stop. Which is why I made meatballs with the good stuff and wonder when I can make more. Clearly, I’m obsessed. No joke.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground beef (LOVING our cow share for this meat!)
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, chopped/shredded/torn apart
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix well with your hands. Roll into 2” meatballs and place on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Should give you anywhere between 12-16 meatballs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

Et’ voila! A perfect little meal in no time at all.

Now, it’s 8 pm on Friday night and I’m ready to climb into bed. You may think I’m joking, but I promise that is no joke at all.

Question of the Evening – What joke or no joke moments did you have today? And are you a fan or hater of April Fools?

I miss you, childhood. I miss the days when…

…money was just a play thing.

…the only crap you had to deal with came in having to remember to “poopy on the potty”.

…vacuuming was not a chore, but “Run from the Monster” play-time.

…relationship drama didn’t exist because your best friend was stuffed.

…a simple kiss and bandaid took all the pain away.

Then, there are parts of our childhoods that we let slip away even though we don’t have to say goodbye. We can still embrace that childhood spirit and…

…have all the confidence in the world. Believe we are a singing, dancing, cooking, drawing, running, joke-telling superstar! And love your body for the fun things it can do.

…trust our Daddy to care, love, and provide for us.

…play with vigor. And, yes, exercise should be play. You should do what you love! 

…get excited over the simple things.

…enjoy food. Even if sometimes that means pure comfort on a plate.

Rainy Day Mushroom & Parsnip Beef Stew

• 1 large yellow onion
• 4-5 parsnips
• 1 package white mushrooms
• 1 lb stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)

Clean and peel your vegetables. Slice/chop the onion, parsnips, and mushrooms into fairly even pieces (about 1/2”-1” in size). Spread evenly over the bottom of a slow-cooker. Top the vegetables with your stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks over the vegetables.In a large bowl, mix the soup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on HIGH 6-8 hours.

Serve over whole wheat pasta, with crusty bread, or just straight up with some roasted green beans if you’re like me and forget to buy the bread at the store.

Ahhh, comfort food. Ahhh, childhood. Who says it has to end?

Question of the Evening – What do you most miss about childhood?