A few things that make me smile

I'm having one of those days where things don't go terribly wrong but they just don't seem to go right either, including losing my school ID... hopefully someone turns it into security so I can easily retrieve it in the morning.  Fingers crossed (told you I'm superstitious :-/)! 

At moments like this, a few things help me to shake off the woes of the day.

1. Good music, always!  Right now I'm listening to "Atlantis to Interzone" by the Klaxons.  

2. Giraffes which are my favorite animal.  Below is a book marker my friend's mom picked up.   Thanks Mrs. Kowalyk! 

3. Something with cinnamon, I absolutely love cinnamon!  What's not to love?  Studies have shown:

a. Just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon/day can lower LDL cholesterol.

b. Cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, may benefit those with type 2 diabetes. 

c.It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

d.It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

e.Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

...and that's just to name a few! 

For my cinnamon serving I covered my plain yogurt with the spice along with  granola "sprinkles."

4. Another thing that brings a smile to my face is dinner with friends!  Yesterday two of my friends from NYU came over so I whipped up Rachel Ray's Sloppy Veg-Head Joe.  I took the picture tonight when I used the leftovers for dinner.  There are a lot more peppers in the leftovers, I should have added some additional beans.

I also made a creamy mashed potato and leek soup.  Creamy because I blended the potatoes and leeks after simmering in the pot for a few minutes and then returned the blend to the pot. I also used homemade vegetable broth rather than chicken broth.  Simply used broth I had from cooking cabbage, celery, and carrots earlier in the week.

Current song-"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes which really has me happy because it reminds me of All Points West.  I'm already missing summer and it's not even officially fall for a few more days.

Nicole