The Awe-Manac

Today is the last day of eating disorder awareness week, so I will end on a happy note. My favorite assignment in Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery was on one of the very first days. The assignment is to go to the bookstore and buy a few books that make you smile and laugh. So today, when I was feeling very anxious after having a delicious and indulgent dinner, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought myself 2 books. I bought Butt-Naked Baby Blues, one of the Baby Blues treasuries! I love this comic, so this was a perfect choice to bring some laughter into my life. The other book is one I stumbled uppon when I was looking at the self-help section.


This book is a day by day book with a different page for every day of the year. It has creativity prompts, tips to energize you, and all sorts of fun things!

For example, here are some of the fun things for today:

Toast of the day: Here's to great teachers and the memories of their encouragement.
Daily soul vitamin: I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. ~ John Steinbeck
Today is John's Steinbeck's birthday! But he was born in 1902, so no more birthdays for him.
Dose of mirth: Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. ~ John Steinbeck
Message from Mind Solution: Memorize a quote or poem you like.

This has always been a favorite poem of mine.
It is Edgar Allen Poe's "A Dream Within a Dream"

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow:

You are not wrong who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand--

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep--while I weep!

O God! can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?

This poem makes me think of how everything is life is so fleeting. When Stephen and I went on our cruise, I felt like crying on the last day. I felt like it all went by so quickly. I felt like the entire week slipped through my fingers and that I couldn't catch one moment within my palm. But I do have the memories, which never seem more than dreams!

Have you come across any cool books lately that have made you think? I am super excited about this book, because each day is different and it will definately give me something to look forward to.

Food for today!
I had an almond butter and pumpkin sandwich, some yogurt and mushrooms for lunch. I made Stephen something far more exciting!


A scrambled egg sandwich with bacon, cheese, and salsa!

With some homemade (oven baked) tortilla chips! I know, I am such an awesome girlfriend. Just kidding!

Today I tried my first Paley Bar. I won't write a review just yet, but I wanted to share.

This flavor intrigued me the most, so I tried it first.

It was rich, delicious, and made me think that I was definately not eating a healthy bar for a snack. This was pretty phenomenal!! I can't wait to try the others.

To add to the chocolate, I baked some chocolate cookies. This had a chocolate cookie dough base made with no egg, snickers, and cinnamon chips.

That is the ball of dough before getting refridgerated.

The cookies all baked up!

Now for the amazing dinner that left me anxious and needing a trip to Barnes and Noble.

I baked the other half of my pizza dough from Sunday into foccacia! I used it as bread for my burgers, which were made with ean ground beef. The patties have chives, garlic, steak seasoning, and are stuffed with mozzarella cheese.

The foccacia bakes nicely and was sliced in half to make the sandwich bread.

I sauteed some mushrooms for my burger!

The burger up close in all of its glory!

I served some oven fries on the side, which apparently got eaten by the camera, as well as by me!

Dessert was a cookie and some gelato. Yum! I don't always finish my dessert, but this one deserved to be eaten. Seriously, this was heaven in a rammekin!

Well, that is all I have for today. Hope your Saturday was awesome! I am off to memorize my poem, read some Baby Blues, and have a night time snack!