Around the Blog World...Lenten Style!

I think Lent is a perfect time to show our "Temples of the Holy Spirit" a little TLC, don't you?! Armed with this belief, I resolve to use this time to increase my health, which also includes dropping a few pounds of "Honeymoon weight."

Isn't it crazy how the moment we know we need to cut back on anything we suddenly need it or crave it or cannot live without it?! Surprise! This is how my relationship with food always is. Without fail. ALWAYS. So this Lenten time of fasting and abstinence is no exception. 

Because of this Lenten penance, it OBVIOUSLY was the perfect time to bake Banana Nut Bread. No other time would be so perfect. <insert eye rolling here> And it just so happened that I had found a recipe (which I would share, but I cannot find it anywhere online..hmmm) that met all my healthy-ingredient criteria...needless to say the recipe was amazing. So amazing, that I never bothered to take pictures as I was too busy shoveling it into my mouth. Epic fail yet again! But I think you will sympathize and understand once I tell you that smothered all over the top of this mouthwatering, freshly baked banana nut bread was homemade Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter. *Swoon!* I can hear all of your "Ahhhhs!" of understanding right now. The moral of the story: Don't bake made-from-scratch Banana Nut Bread or make Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter if you want to lose a few pounds. It takes too much will power not to eat the entire batch in one sitting. ;)

Now that it is Lent, I have had a little trouble figuring out what to make on Fridays....fish would normally seem like the logical, appetizing choice, but, well....let's just say we had an incident with some cod over at my place and I can't touch raw fish without immediately feeling squeamish. However, based on previous food "incidents," I'm guessing a few more weeks and the memory of the cod will have disappeared and I will be back to craving and making fish for dinner. In the meantime, I thought I would share a few meatless, fish-alternative recipes from around the blog world. I can't guarantee they are delicious as I haven't tried them, but they definitely look tasty. Bon appetit!

1.  Crockpot Chickpea, Butternut Squash, and Red Lentil Stew from Eat, Live, Run

2.  Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Chickpeas, and Orange from the Gluten-free Goddess

3.  Tomato and Canellini Bean Soup from The Balanced Platter

4.  Husband's Healing Stew from Oh She Glows! (one of my favorite foodie blogs!)