A few weeks ago a girlfriend of mine asked if I wanted to take a surf lesson with her for her birthday. She asked after I had consumed a little wine so feeling emboldened, I answered her with a confident “yes”. And then I woke up the following morning with serious regret. You see, I’m a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to the ocean. I love the beach, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not what you would call an adventurous beach goer. For example, I never go swimming in the ocean. I stand in knee deep water praying I don’t step on a crab, get stung by a jellyfish or my real fear, get eaten by a shark. Occasionally I will ride a boogie board or dip my head under the water but nine times out of ten, you can find me in a beach chair, watching safely from the sand. That is, until yesterday.
Yesterday I waded out well past my knees and learned to surf. The amazing Jenny Brown, of Shaka Surf School, took my scaredy cat self and turned me into a water loving, surfer chick. I wiped out more times than I could count, had gallons of salt water go up my nose and who knows how many times the surf board whacked me in the head but I surfed. At almost 40 years old I confronted a fear head on and crushed it. All of my worries went right out the window the moment I stood up on that board. From that point forward I was on a mission. I paddled straight into the waves, to the deepest parts of the ocean and let my legs dangle in the water just waiting to do it again and again and again.
And that’s not even the best part. The icing on the cake was my girls and Patrick were there to see me do it. They knew I was scared to death but watched me go for it anyway, cheering me on the entire time. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Jenny and all of the instructors at Shaka Surf School. If you find yourself on Folly Beach, do yourself a favor and schedule an hour lesson. My girlfriends and I are already planning our next one. I’m counting down the days until I get to jump back on that board and continue proving to myself old gals can learn new tricks!
Sunday, June 28th // Mexican Cheese & Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers // Cream cheese + rotisserie chicken + canned tomatoes + mildly spicy poblano peppers and more cheese = a perfect family friendly Sunday dish. Kid Tip -You can remove the chicken mix from the pepper before plating if your kids won’t eat the pepper.
Monday, June 29th // Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice // Keto followers will need to sub cauliflower rice for brown rice but every other ingredient is good to go. Kid Tip – skip the chili and cayenne seasoning on the shrimp. If the big people are looking for spice, add red pepper flakes to their plates before serving!
Tuesday, June 30th // Low Carb Chicken Spaghetti // Zoodles replace noodles in this creamy, low carb, recipe. One change – I will sauté my zoodles in the pan, not the microwave. Make sure you squeeze out any excess water from your zoodles or they will water down the sauce. Keto followers – sub coconut aminos for Worcestershire!
Wednesday, July 1st // Lemon Garlic Halibut // Light and simple, this healthy halibut recipe is perfect for summer. Sub cod, flounder or striped bass if you can’t find halibut! Serve with a side salad or your favorite veggie.
Thursday, July 2nd // One Pan Sausage Veggie Skillet // Awesome weeknight recipe and a great way to get your veggies in. Make sure to use a sugar free tomato sauce and sub cauliflower rice for Keto friendly.
Friday, July 3rd // Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops // It only takes butter, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme to make this recipe but the results are anything but basic. Serve with a simple side salad.
This Week I’m Shopping
Horizontal Bar Necklace // Long Sleeve Women’s Bathing Suit // Leather Tassel Shoulder Purse // Utensil Set // La Jolie Citronella Candles //
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