It’s the season of giving–but I’ve been doing a lot of taking. It’s time to say thanks!
My best friend gave me Nutella.
Because it was in a weightlifter-themed jar. Oh yeah! Now I can pretend that chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness is fueling my muscles! I mean, clearly this is a fitness product, right?
My mom gave me cottage cheese.
Homemade cottage cheese. From scratch. Like, you start with a gallon of milk, magic happens, and then you have cottage cheese. She wanted to make sure there were low/no-sodium high-protein food options on hand when I visited last weekend–so she just went ahead and made those options. And the cottage cheese was so good. You think you know cottage cheese? Nope, not until you have homemade.
Sarah gave me the opportunity to try new weird food.
Thai-mango-salsa and Greek yogurt spread on Wasa crisps? Oh. Yes. The sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy goodness.
My chickens gave me more eggs.
Egg #1 wasn’t a fluke! I’ve now had five backyard-farm fresh eggs. You think you know eggs? Nope, not until you have homemade. Seriously, go to a farmer’s market and treat yourself to some local goodness–I can even tell you how different and amazing the taste is!
A trainer at the gym gave me a compliment.
And told me he wished I’d train him for just one month. Umm, you’re the trainer. (And you’re already hot and fit…but 42. Damn. Half plus seven? Not quite.) But rock on!
Jessie gave me a reminder to say “Thanks!”
Check out (and join in!) Jessie’s Thankful Thursday link up for more reasons to appreciate it all.
And most importantly?
Heather is giving me company on my journey to Atlanta this weekend (and there’s a rumor she’ll also be giving us pancakes)–And Laura is giving us a place to stay (and another awesome weekend-in-ATL experience)! I love these girls! I can’t wait to meet Heather and spend more time with Laura!
What have you been given lately? How do you pay it forward?
ForgottenBeast 
Lately I have let go of my road rage and letting people over..
Home made cottage cheese wow! That sounds delicious 🙂 your are so right. I have yet to have an egg until I had farmers market eggs for the first time! Amazing!!
Have a great end. To your week and I look forward to hearing about your weekend of festivities
Love and shine
CourtStar
I didn’t think there could be that much of a difference between eggs–I mean, I thought I was already buying the high-end organic things, but nope, still not even close.
Homemade cottage cheese. Yeah, you’re mom is amazing, and Random food gifts from friends’ rocks. Yep, being a food blogger definitely has its perks. I got a prickly pear and a book on foods to help you stay young from a friend. Not sure what she’s trying to tell me, but I’ll take it…happily.
Have a great weekend!!
I’m still bummed your prickly pear went bad–I want to know how one is!
This blog is amazing!! I’m all about the Nutella. And cottage cheese…..I practically lived on the stuff when I was a backpacker in New Zealand.
Okay, only because NZ is known for its sheep–Is there such a thing as sheep’s milk-based cottage cheese? I want to try that now…
girl this weekend sounds BOMB. look at that amazing blogger meet up. I am drooling yes literally drooling over that homemade cottage cheese. oh freaking boy I wish I had that. that combo of greek yogurt, salsa and wasa sounds amazing.
I was drooling over that cottage cheese too–my mom has found some good incentive to get me to actually come visit the fam on a regular basis 😀 I highly recommend greek + salsa, so good together!
I will be trying that!
Okay your mom is absolutely adorable…how sweet of her to actually make sure you have suitable food around! My mom needs to step it up ;)! You 3 girls are going to have a blast this weekend- all your blogs bring a smile to my face!
Haha, to be fair, I cooked every other meal while I was there, but it was so awesome of her to do that for me!
your mom is AWESOME – I love that she made her own cottage cheese. so SO awesome. and YAY for another great weekend – give those girls BIG HUGS from spabettie, please (and one for you too!).
I have been given so many great things lately – I am feeling an immense gratitude for all that I have right now – and the way I am paying it forward is through donations to the Red Cross and other efforts, for those who lost everything in the hurricane.
Right? My mom is like the ultimate frontier woman, she could totally settle the West with her cheese-and-knitting skills.
Loved your post about donating/helping the Red Cross! Definitely a great way to give back!
I am SO jeaous of y’alls weekend together…I looked up plane tickets but it just isn’t feasible for me. (Blast!)
I’m glad you are loving your goodies. 🙂 #weirdfoodmovementforever
Aww, I wish it had been! You’ll have to make it for one of these ATL weekends, that would be amazing! (Almost as amazing as Nutty Butter. Almost.)
Farm fresh cheese and eggs are truly superior. Nothing beats it! Being asked to train the trainer might be a sign you could moonlight as a trainer for funsies. What’s a little bit more $$? Then you’d have no excuse not to buy a couch (or fly to Portland)!
I’d love the extra $$–but yikes, getting certified costs tons. And I used to teach fitness classes and hated that, so I can only imagine training would end up being equally miserable, just on a one-on-one basis instead.
Ha. True. I thought about it for awhile, too, but I’d get so frustrated with people who didn’t want to try/put in the required effort. I have little patience for that.
your mom MADE cottage cheese?! will she made me some?! that is the coolest thing. off to google recipes…
i can’t WAIT to see you this weekend!!!
She totally would–Her favorite hobby is feeding people. Relatives, strangers, whoever 🙂 ONE day!
I love this post…… so much!!! My friends and family have given me their time, love and patience over the past week. My chiropractor gave me a compliment. My dad gave me barbecue. I’m a lucky girl!
Ooo, dad-given BBQ is always the best!
This is awesome girl!! Congrats on the huge compliment from the trainer. That mustve felt so good 🙂 And homemade cottage cheese? Your mom is awesome!
It did–especially since he’s one of the trainers that I actually see training people, not just wandering around and chatting with them. He knows his stuff!
aww how sweet is this! Nutella is just heaven on a spoon. What a massive compliment from the trainer!
Isn’t Nutella amazing? I feel like it shouldn’t be allowed to exist, it’s so good.
Nutella really knows its market! And your BF really knows you 🙂
Can you pls have your mom do a guest post about homemade cottage cheese??? I want to wear your moose vest and eat cottage cheese all day. So jelly!
OH my gosh, you have given me a new goal: Talk my mom into doing a guest post. It would be hilarious!
Once in a while, I’ll see someone’s mom commenting on a blog post and I love it!!!
HOMEMADE COTTAGE CHEESE?!??!! That is so legit. And I want to steal that nutella weightlifting jar…and your chickens…and that salsa. 😀
Love the Nutella weightlifters!
Haha, Nutella false advertises so much! I love cottage cheese and yes my grandmother makes it from scratch ^^ It’s actually really simple as long as you have the bacteria starter. It’s very much the same protocol as making greek yogurt. Gee.. I haven’t started giving yet, makes me feel kind of guilty :S
I think your trainer has a bit of a crushhh 🙂 :). && uhm, how cool that you have your own chickens. I want my own chicken damnit!
Nutella’s clearly almost as good as protein powder; nuts are healthy aren’t they? 😉
That cottage cheese looks amazing and I bet it blows the shop stuff out of the water – and I agree, there’s nothing like home made eggs! That’s so cool about your trainer too 🙂
Time OUT! I’ve always been more of a “real” hazelnut butter kind of person (I don’t really like Nutella for some reason!) but that Jar is SO freaking cute. I could be changed. haha
Well, there is protein in the Nutella, isn’t there?! That counts! Could you possibly share your Mom’s home made cottage cheese recipe. I LOVE cottage cheese and would love to know how to make it! Thanks, Allie! Have a great weekend!!
OK, hands down…..ANY mom that makes home made cottage cheese for their daughter because of the sodium in store bought is THE BEST MOM EVER!!! Seriously! And your trainer comment at the end literally had me laughing out loud! Sooo funny! 🙂 Have an awesome !rip this weekend
Not going to lie – that is REALLY cool that you have homemade cottage cheese. I love that stuff whipped in a cuisinart! so good.
Yep, Nutella is DEF a fitness product in my eyes. Hehe.
I love that your mom made you homemade cottage cheese. That is love right there!
That is a good friend who gave you Nutella! Sorry I’ve been missing. Crazy between Sandy and the NoBloPoMo blog every day thing (turns out, blogging every day is not for me – but I’m determined to finish the month!)
man, i love cottage cheese, so i can’t even imagine homemade. my dad’s made butter several times, and it was the absolute bomb dot com. yumm! i’m such a dairy fiend!
I’ve thought about making homemade cottage cheese and now I need to get on it, I am sure it tastes amazing! Nutella, that stuff kills me, the ingredient list is not good, I am actually surprised it’s so popular as I’d rather have sunflower butter any day over that stuff.
Oh my gosh, I want your mom! Can she adopt me? Like for real??! You know you want some company while you’re chilling at your parent’s for Thanksgiving!
Since I was forced to get my eggs from the store this week, I can definitely attest to the greatness of the farm-fresh egg…you better keep an eye on your chickies or one might just turn up missing one day! 😉
That’s awesome about the trainer…too bad he’s kinda old! Lol
Haha I laughed out loud at your trainer comment 😛 Age is just a number, until you get over 40?! I can’t believe my hubby is turning 3-0 next week [he’s 7 years older] but eek, ha!
P.S. Homemade cottage cheese?! That is AWESOME!!!