On Pain and Healing: Hi

I've been trying to wear my fitbit more... the new colorful bands definitely help. It's just crazy how many steps I take in one work day!!! It helps me feel a tiny bit better about being sore and exhausted every day when I get home from work.

(Calories burned not accurate, obviously)

I joined the 30-day yoga challenge today! This is a little strange for me because generally I "hate" yoga and refuse to do it, but for some reason I felt curious today. I went on youtube and searched "yoga" and the challenge was the first result. It's pretty cool & completely free. You get one video sent to you per day and they are only between 10-20 minutes. The first one was pretty low-key and I didn't really feel like I got a workout, but was definitely relaxed and my muscles feel oddly, kind of sore.

OK. I made the best drink EVER last night! Marvin's dad makes us home made sorrel every now and then because I am obsessed with it. Sorrel is a type of flower from the caribbean. The leaves are dried and then boiked to make a sort of... tea. This is what sorrel looks like in plant form:

The leaves are often boiled with cinnamon sticks and cloves. Marvin's Dad (and lots of others) adds simple syrup to make it sweet. It comes out a dark, deep, beautiful red:

YUM

And now the fun comes in. Last night I was thinking how much it looked like red wine. So I thought hmm.... how would sorrel sangria taste? I mixed half red wine (cabernet) and half sorrel. Squeeze some orange into it, added tons of ice and mixed it up. It was one of the best sangrias I've ever had and I'm so proud of myself for making it!

Sorrel Sangria

I also attempted to make parsnip fries last night. I just peeled and sliced a parsnip, tossed the slices in some olive oil and my new favorite Trader Joe's everyday seasoning:

I put this on everything.

Then I baked them at 450 for about 25 minutes. I don't know what caused me not to check on them.. but they came out really crispy... a little too crispy for me.