Hey, remember me? I’m Catherine. I like food and fitness—and writing about them.

I had no intention of taking a nearly 2-week “blog-cation,” but that’s what happened. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging, and I’m ok with that.

My birthday was wonderful, Mardi Gras is in full swing, and although today is dreary and rainy (and I haven’t even taken a shower, oops!), I have been enjoying some warmer, sunny weather as often as possible.

I’m still not fully in “blog mode,” but I do have some links to share. Maybe this will get me back into the swing of things.

.Recipes.

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks with Peanut Butter, Tahini and Ginger Sauce via Kalyn’s Kitchen

I’ve wanted to try cooking tofu for the longest time, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. These look so simple, and I think they might be my first attempt. Anything is delicious with a peanut butter sauce!

Warm Brussels Caesar with Bacon Ciabatta Croutons via How Sweet It Is

How, how, HOW did I miss this salad 2 weeks ago? Brussels sprouts, bacon, and parmesan BELONG together, and this is what every salad should be like.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake via Smitten Kitchen

Three of my favorite things together again.

Deconstructed Falafel Pizza via Veganizzm

I’m a huge fan of all things falafel and all things pizza, so why not combine the two?…

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Skillet Nachos with Pineapple Guacamole via Iowa Girl Eats

I have no doubt that I could easily eat the entire skillet of these! Dad, if you’re reading, pretty please smoke a pork shoulder in the near future? 😉

.Reads.

Dear Body via The Lunchbox Diaries

This is amazing. And, finally, after a tumultuous year of struggling with confidence, both physically and mentally, I feel the same way about my body.

Stop Comparing Yourself To Other People, Already! via MindBodyGreen

Good advice. We all want the same basic things in life, so why not be encouraging to both ourselves and other women instead of playing the comparison game?

When Did You Stop Loving Your Body? via MindBodyGreen

I guess I’ve got a theme going here, but we do need to block out the outside voices of shame and begin loving our bodies for their uniqueness and abilities to do awesome things.

Chick-fil-A will switch to antibiotic free chicken within five years via The Christian Science Monitor

As a southerner, I adore Chick-fil-A, so this is good news to my ears. Antibiotic resistance is a scary, and real, thing!

The Best Foods to Ease Anxiety via Huffington Post

I firmly believe the foods we eat can and do have an impact on our mental and physical well-being.

Why I’m Not Worried About Yoga Mat Chemicals in My Food via Huffington Post

Even though the idea of using such a chemical in our food (which I don’t eat that often) still bothers me, the author makes some good points. Our efforts would be better utilized by fighting bigger battles.

The 21 Germiest Places You’re Not Cleaning via Greatist

Ew. Some of these I’m good about (cleaning my yoga mat, wiping down knobs and handles in the kitchen), but most I don’t even consider.

That’s all I have. Hopefully I won’t disappear for days at a time again. Hope everybody has a fabulous remainder of their weekend!