There’s only two types of people in the world
The ones that entertain
and the ones…
….who stand by appalled to see a CIRCUS in the parking lot of the gym. For real! There’s a full-up traveling circus in the shopping center where one of the gyms I belong to is located. Something tells me that there should never be camels and elephants in Valdosta (which are outside in pens and everyone driving by can see them)….
Now I understand the circus is a livelihood for quite a few people but I fiercely believe that the animals could be treated better. They were out there in the rain yesterday –and a friend saw a worker mistreat an elephant as she drove by- and I was shocked at the lack of animal activists out there. No one! So if you hear of me getting arrested for protesting outside the circus, or for saving an elephant or camel, I went down strong ok??? 
On a lighter note, check out what I found at the commiscary today!
Mmmmmm! I just want pumpkin anything right now. You can bet your booty I have a mug in hand 
To rewind a little to last night, I didn’t really feel like cooking after work. It’s a little harder to be motivated when the pilot isn’t around! So I just whipped up something easy peasy…
Pumpkin oat bran:
(1 cup almond milk, 1/3 cup oat bran, 1 smashed nanner, pumpkin pie spice, stevia, cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla, organic peanut butter and a few vegan chocolate chips “for garnish”)
I haven’t had peanut butter in so long! I’ve been rolling with mostly almond butter since peanuts are technically a legume and not a nut (more like a bean! Which is totally cool, but they’re a little starchier). Anywhoo, I was out of almond butter and the peanut butter tasted glorious
I watched Biggest Loser (Jillian is hardcore!), crawled into bed with the puppers and read Time Traveler’s Wife, and crashed out.
This morning, I had an Ezekiel on the way to meet Ashley for legs and abs at the base gym.
(Cute paper towels huh???)
Here’s what we did:
| Lunge and lift | 8 lbs each | 3 sets of 10 on each side |
| Stability ball hamstring curl | Body weight | 3 sets of 12 |
| Stability ball single leg calf raise | Body weight | 3 sets of 12 on each side |
| Weight Step Ups | 15 lbs | 3 sets of 12 on each side |
| Cable leg abductors | 7.5 lbs | 3 sets of 10 on each side |
| Pilates abs (Ash is a pilates instructor) | 10 painful minutes | |
| Total time: 50 minutes |
After out workout, we hit up the commiscary so I could replenish my almond butter stash. When I told the pilot I was out of almond butter (and just bought a jar Sunday) he started laughing hysterically. I told him to hear me out because the jars they sell on base are MINI! He wouldn’t listen. He was just laughing that I finished a jar in three days when it usually takes me a week.
Dear Maranatha,
Your 8 oz. jars of almond butter are a joke
See??? TINY! I’ve got a big almond butter appetite 
I opened up the jar and smothered some on an apple with mesquite and cinnamon
Ahhhh! The void is filled
Off to work on the upstairs reorganizing abomination. Hopefully I’ll finish today!
There is SO much to do with my life right now.. I have two huge projects that got put on the backburner, but I’m one of those people who can’t be productive until the house is clean. If everything isn’t in order, I’ll try to work and just get distracted.
So… here we go!
See ya later!
xoxo,
G$
The look on your face is priceless. That almond butter really let you down
I’m with you on the circus – not a fan. Firstly because of the poor animals and secondly I automatically think X-Files when I think of the circus. Heeby jeebies!
Those almond butter jars ARE tiny. I buy the Costco size ones…much better!!!!
I’m with you if the house isn’t clean, nothing gets done. That circus makes me want to cry, rally some troops and get out there and fight!! and yea I am going to the store to find that tea ASAP.
I totally agree with you about the circus! If I lived there I would be protesting with you! Great Brittany reference btw.
hahah thank you
i love britney
I saw the pumpkin spice tea at my store yesterday. Is it good? I love pumpkin spice coffee, but I am not a tea drinker. It is usually to bland for me.
it’s really good.. and even better with some stevia and cinnamon
I agree with you about the circus. The thought of them and their poor animals makes me weepy. Agreed, Briney reference — amazing!
Haha at first I thought that tea box was one of those circus animal crackers boxes! Wishful thinking, I suppose?
I’ve never seen that baby Maranatha!! It’s cute–but I love the big gunz
I also hate circuses, but I wanted to point out that animals are animals and the majority of the animals in the world live outside and spend time in the rain. Keeping animals in the rain is not animal cruelty.
yes, but tasering them is
Mmmmm I have not seen that Pumpkin Spice tea here in Vancouver yet…..Is it black tea or herbal??
it’s black tea
Perfect for a wake up call!
For the longest time I was convinced one of my roommates were swiping my nut butter….then I realized that no, I actually eat that much of it. Circuses have creeped me out since I was a kid, but I do love Cirque du Soleil! Have a great day!
Ugh I keep hearing commercials on the radio for some sketchy sounding cicus, that must be it. (I’m in Tallahassee).
When I first came to FSU for grad school, I was really surprised that there is a permanent circus tent right outside the football/baseball stadiums. Apparently the FSU circus is kind of a big deal- students can take juggling electives and everything. There aren’t any animals, thankfully.
hahaha I got through a jar of REGULAR (not even mini) nut butter in a week- lurve it
Ick to the circus. Show the animals some love!
I totally thought you were going to show some good ol animal crackers or something (you know the kind with the circus box??). Super weird.. never been to a circus and I hope to keep it that way!
Yum for the tea.. I am a huge huge tea drinker so this might be a kind I try out!
It’s funny you post this today, because tomorrow is the start of the Ringling circus in the town I grew up in. I actually just finished writing a letter to the big newspaper in the state about the cruelty and I’m preparing for the opening night anti-circus demonstration tomorrow! The circus is going on Thursday-Sunday (with up to THREE shows a day!) and I am going to be giving them hell for EVERY performance!
The circus makes me sick
It’s so sad when they aren’t nice to the animals! I though you were going to see you found animal crackers at the store, which would have been funny after seeing the circus. I’ve never tried the pumpkin spice tea, but I want to. Have a good Wednesday!
I need to find that tea!! Yea, that almond butter jar is a bit pathetic.
The circus creeps me out. I don’t like the thing about the animals either but on top of that I think clowns are horrible!! (such a cliche, but with good reason!)
The animals at fairs and circuses make me sad too and angry too. I once went in one of those animal “freak” shows that you can walk through at fairs when I was about 10 and ended up petting most of the animals because I felt so bad for them…especially the cows.
My mom never took me to the circus and I never had any idea why until I got older. I will never go to one, the animals are treated horribly!
I hate circuses too! I find it disturbing that animals are still used as a form of entertainment, when they are obviously not happy spending their lives in cages. It’s just so sad
That’s interesting about the fact that peanuts are technically a legume. Is almond butter better for you than peanut butter?
i don’t like to say whether one food is “better” than another, but the nutrients are very different. almost any nature-made food is good for you though
Oh my I am the same with my house, and it is worse now that I work from home. For example today I just kept thinking about doing laundry and washing out the brownie pan (we are ahving a party tonight) and I could’t stop thinking about it… so I went and did both and now feeling much better.
Those poor animals at the circus, that must have been heartbreaking to see. It does not matter that the circus provides jobs to people, abhorrent industries since the dawn of time have given people money to carry out their disgusting practices and there is NO excuse.
And yes, that almond butter jar IS tiny! That stuff is delicious and so good on so many things, I can see why you go through it so fast! Haha, I love the slightly frustrated and grumpy look on your face.
And oh oh oh! That pumpkin spice tea looks AMAZING!
amen, sistah!
The Circus is one place I will never be or support. I think they do mistreat animals and do not care for anmials doing tricksor being parading around for human entertainment. I really don’t like zoos either, but Circus’ are evil. Zoos can be educational in some aspects and take in and protect endangered ones.
poor animals! I would NEVER go to a circus with animals!
whoah I wish I had your discipline! I’m sooo lazy all the time and I hate cleaning
I do aaaall the other things first and when there’s really nothing else left to do, I might do some cleaning :p
I totally feel strongly that you should do a give away and include that tea and almond butter! I SO wish I were military so I could get that tea! There nothing like that in any “regular” store I shop at!
Hey Gina,
My sister and I were both wondering about this. What is Mesquite? Whenever I think of that, I think of an ingredient is BBQ sauce. Is that what it is? What kind of flavoring does it have? Are there any nutritional benefits?
hey girl,
here’s some info on mesquite
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/mesquite-pod-meal-16-oz.html
it has a sweet nutty taste
Did you put pumkin in your oatbran or was the spice enough to make it pumkin-e? That tea looks great!
yes! oops, might have forgotten to write that in. 1/2 cup
I mean pumpkin!
They still dont have ANY of the holiday teas at my groc store(s) here. I am sooo bummed, I went to 2 yesterday!
I have been in a pumpkin mood too. I made some raw vegan pumpkin donut holes. They’ve been fulfilling my pumpk cravings but I want that tea with one!
Just tried the almond butter and it was wonderful – I will never go back to real peanut butter ever again!
haha once you go almond, you never go back
Have you looked into ordering almond butter wholesale directly from the manufacturer? It might end up cheaper, with the amount you go through.
that’s a very good idea… looking into it now
Check Woodstock Farms if MaraNatha isn’t into it
woodstock farms is my favorite AB! the thing is, woodstock is more expensive online than it is at the health food store. weird, huh??
That is weird. I saw that it was your favorite this summer and couldn’t find it anywhere (I’m in the Seattle area), then I went to Maine and nearly had a seizure when I saw it in the regular grocery store. That stuff is good! I stick to Trader Joe’s at home, but I don’t think they’d ship to you (although I would, let me know).
Where oh where did you find that pumpkin spice tea?! I went looking today and found it nowhere!
at the commiscary! i was so excited
I completely agree with you about the circus. My mother would never take me to the circus when I was a child – she told me flat out they were cruel to the animals and that we couldn’t support them because of it. I still remember that and will carry on that tradition with my future fam! It’s just so terrible the way they keep them in cages and make them do unnatural things. No wonder the animals often go crazy and trample/eat their trainers….
seriously.. i would trample or eat them too!
Agh! So jealous that you found the pumpkin spice tea! I’ve been on the hunt since September!
Costco has Maranatha almond butter in a jar about the size of your head, for about $7.
Circuses are evil. Ok, the Cirque De Soleil sort not so much, but those parking lot ones are the absolute worst.
I’m totally with you all on the circus thingy. I agree with Kathy S. – it’s not unnatural or cruel to keep them in the rain, but it is cruel to put them into cages 23/7…
But when you think about it, it’s not just the circus that’s cruel. Think about how many people keep their horses locked up in barns most of the time and not running around on a pasture, how chickens, cows and other farm animals are bred, and how dogs are kept in kennels.
Always makes me super sad to know that I can only to so little (ie, do better with my own pets, not eat meat, not go to the circus etc) about it!
All each of us can control is what we each do, but these things tend to snowball. You’re probably influencing more people by your example than you think you do.
When you have kids, the parking lot fairs are 100x worse. They want to go in but the place looks seedy, unsafe, filthy and the prices are a rip-off. I won’t even go into the workers…
what can you say a girl just loves her almond butter!!
jenna
I made a dish last night similar to your pumpkin oat bran only I used oatmeal and quinoa. I added pumpkin puree, ground flax, soy milk, almond butter, stevia, cinammon, and nutmeg. I topped it with a tiny bit of soy vanilla FroYo…..AMAZING. Thanks for the inspiration!
that sounds wonderful! i’m so glad you liked it
Oh my, I wish we had pumpkin spice tea here! That would be delicious. I’m also cooking up the pumpkin oats in the morning and have been having Bengal Spice tea alongside (Celestial brand). That’s pretty good too
& today, because the almond butter I get comes in such a small jar too, I am going to make my own & refill the jar.
Tomorrow I shall be trying your addition of a banana in my oats!
You just solved a huge mystery! My husband is allergic to beans, peanuts, and brazil nuts, but can eat almonds, cashews, etc. What a relief!
Gina–
WHERE do you find the pumpkin spice tea?!! I’ve tried to find it everywhere but maybe we don’t have it on the west coast? I’m sooooo jealous, the best I could come up with from bigellow was vanilla caramel ha
looks bueno!
anyway i also agree about the circus–craziness!!
hey girl,
i found it at the commiscary, which shocked me because they usually don’t have a lot of the *fun* stuff!
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