30 Before 30 Journey in a Year

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” Confucius sure did know what he was talking about when it came to the joy most people receive through the gift of music. And I say gift deliberately. Producing, singing, writing, performing music is a true gift for those lucky enough to possess it. And while I wouldn't classify myself as a musicophilic, I did want to include a musical sampling adventure in my 30 Before 30 challenge. While I have attended a concert or two outside, I had not attended a show hopping, multi-day festival in its entirety.  With the parameters of no camping (you all know how I feel about camping ), within easy driving distance of Chattanooga and a lineup that included at least a few bands I knew of, Sloss Music & Arts Festival in Birmingham won.  SlossFest is a two-day festival that featured what I would classify as popular but non-mainstream artists - alternative if you will but...

Over a year ago, the hubs and I decided to get our DNA tested through 23 and Me . For about $100, you can get a basic ancestral report. For additional fees, you can also get genetic screenings for disease, abnormalities and wellness. With the thought to continue to live in ignorant bliss forgoing the later, we provided an uncomfortable amount a spit in a little vial and sent it off for testing. Upon return and without much surprise, I found out that I'm vastly European, 99.1% to be exact and about 66.4% of that is British/Irish. With the addition of .9% Sub-Saharan Africa which reflects the deep history of humans, the most surprising of my genetic makeup is a small but non-negligible representation of Ashkenazic Jew. For this type of genetic testing, I could only find out my complete ancestral makeup but not which parent provided what ancestral material. For my husband, he received a maternal and paternal breakdown because he has both an X and a Y chromosome. For me to receive ...

I love to cook. Preparing meals is not stressful for me; it's my time to relax and unwind in the evening and a way I show others that I care. But, I could go without doing the dishes. And for the month of June, I ate and cooked exclusively vegetarian. One of the reasons I wanted to try being vegetarian for a month was the challenge it would present in cooking. A big thank you to  all my social media friends for sharing your vegetarian recipes, favorite bloggers, staple ideas and quick non-meat dishes that you enjoy. Below are some of the suggested items that I also enjoyed: Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo   Pizza Quinoa Casserole Quorn Products I'm not a big fan of meat substitutes, but these were good. Tofu and seitan make me want to throw up.  Grilled Zucchini Hummus Wraps Zucchini Meatballs - LOVED these! Put artichokes, havarti cheese and pesto onto some fancy bread and make a panini.  Cookie and Kate (blog) The First Mess (blog) Naturally Ell...