Prius Loves Figs

Well, folks, I guess I should explain that unexpected absence, huh? On Tuesday night, I suddenly came down with major body aches and chills, and by yesterday I had a slight fever (100.4 was the highest I checked). Unfortunately, but necessarily, I spent almost all of yesterday on the couch, resting and trying to get rid of the aches. It didn't help that our workout Monday was more intense than usual, and on Tuesday I did Tina's Lower Body Burnout workout PLUS a yoga class with Jenn. So I was already sore all over in addition to head-to-toe discomfort.

Thankfully, I woke up this morning feeling much better, even though I had to turn down a sub job today (I'm subbing for my former school district this year). Most schools say that you have to wait 24 hours after a fever before returning to school. I guess it's for the best; I'm feeling better but could use another day to get back to 100%. I don't really have much of an appetite today, which is a clue I'm not quite there--I rarely lose my appetite, even when I'm sick, so lack of hunger means I'm hurtin'.

So I'll fill you in on what's been going on around here lately. Of course you know that Terry's home (!!!), so we've been soaking up lots of time together. He's already been home for almost a week, so I guess I should calm down about it, but I really do miss him and our regular routines when he's away.

I also made these amazing cookies from Fitnessista. She went to raw culinary school (I had no idea such a thing existed!), and she's always suggesting delicious raw combinations. Honestly, I don't know much about eating raw, though I know it's a lifestyle choice for some people. But with the heat we've experienced lately, I'm grateful to not have to turn on the oven to make a delicious treat! I did make a few adjustments to her recipe, including doubling it because we devoured the first batch.

• 1 cup almond meal
• scant 1/2 cup peanut butter (but just because I ran out--otherwise I would have used 1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• a handful of dark chocolate chunks (maybe 3 tablespoons?)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

I combined the first five ingredients (through vanilla) first, then stirred in the chocolate and coconut. I formed the dough into balls and smushed them just enough to form a cookie shape, then threw them on a plate lined with wax paper. I covered the whole thing with plastic wrap and am excited to eat them tonight! (I know they are delicious, because I already ate at least the equivalent of two cookies during the mixing process. I had to test them.)

Terry and I loved these little treats--he dubbed them "pudding cookies" because my first batch didn't really solidify in the fridge--and we're going to enjoy them with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream tonight.

We're also finalizing our travel plans for Europe. We leave in eleven days! My parents are actually meeting us in Switzerland, and we'll travel with them to Austria before moving on to Munich and Prague on our own. Terry and I have only been to Europe with the two of us, so we're excited to travel in a small group.

A big part of travel planning is staying organized. A few of my pre-travel routines:

• Print my confirmations/tickets as soon as I book them. This way I don't have to scramble to find everything or try to remember exactly what it was I needed to print. 
• Buy an inexpensive set of folders to sort all the paperwork. I like the bound set of folders at Staples, so I can keep each aspect of our trip in its own pocket. This time I'll have a separate pocket for Flights, Lucerne, Salzburg, Munich, Munich Side Trips, Prague, and Other

• Read as much as possible, but don't over-research. Sounds contradictory, but it's easy to get overwhelmed. I like Rick Steves' books because they provide a little history, some cultural customs, some phrases in the language, and lots of suggestions for where to eat and what to do. I try to avoid delving too deep into the Internet, because I find myself in a black hole of information and get way too dizzy trying to make a simple decision.
• Talk to friends and family for suggestions. We like to ask for recommendations from as many people as possible. If we hear the same suggestions two or three times, we know it's something we should do. 

I'm also continuing to work hard on my novel! I'm at the halfway point words-wise, and I have eleven days to go. That's not so horrible, right? I can totally do this. (But maybe send good vibes my way anyway.)

Also, fun photo of the day:

Of course you do, Prius. 

Hope you're having a great day!