This post was originally published eight years ago. I remade these brownies earlier this year while thinking about my friend Joan. I reshot them at the time, knowing that I wanted to share this post again on the 8th anniversary of her passing.

Chocolate for Joan

My chocolate-loving friend Joan would most definitely approve of eating brownies for dinner! This Lunch Lady Brownie recipe is one of hers that has become a family favorite for us as well.

Joan passed away unexpectedly on October 22, 2015. While crying and grieving the next day, I decided to bake in memory of her. I spent that weekend making many of her favorites and then shared the sweets with friends.

Joan was passionate about her desserts and I imagine that she would have gotten a kick out of being remembered with an abundance of chocolate.

Lunch Lady Brownies

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the brownies:

• butter
• cocoa
• light brown sugar
• white sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour

Chocolate Frosting for Brownies

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the frosting:

• butter
• powdered sugar
• cocoa
• salt
• milk

Lunch Lady Brownies Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Add the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk again until smooth. Add the flour and stir until combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the thick batter to the corners. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Brownie Frosting Recipe

While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until combined. The mixture will be mostly dry crumbs. Add the milk and beat again for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Gently spread the frosting over the brownies while they are still quite warm. Let cool before slicing.

To know Joan was to love her and laugh with her, she impacted countless lives every single day. In her memory, chocolate recipes have been shared around the internet.

My friends, surround yourself with people who bring you joy. Hug them tight. And eat some chocolate today too, #chocolateforjoan.

Print

Lunch Lady Brownies

Thick, chewy, fudgy brownies with generous chocolate icing are enticing enough to have you eating these Lunch Lady Brownies for dinner. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

Total Time 34 minutes minutes

Servings 18 servings

Calories 357kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter melted
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour*

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1⅓ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ⅓ cup potato starch

Frosting

• ¼ cup butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Brownie Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk again until smooth. Add the flour and stir until combined.
• Pour into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the thick batter to the corners. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Frosting Instructions

• While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until combined. The mixture will be mostly dry crumbs. Add the milk and beat again for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
• Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Gently spread the frosting over the brownies while they are still quite warm. Let cool before slicing.

Notes

Frost the brownies while they are still warm. The frosting will melt down a bit into the brownies creating an irresistible crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

recipe adapted from and with loving thanks to Chocolate, Chocolate and More

{originally published 10/28/15 – recipe notes updated 10/22/23}

It hurts, friends. It hurts so much. Losing a friend is never easy. It shouldn’t be. Friends impact our lives in countless ways, and really great friends take a piece of our heart with them when they are gone.

I’m a better person for having known Joan Hayes. She was a wonderful friend and she will not be forgotten.

There are so many memories. The time Joan ordered ALL THE FOODS on the Snooze menu because she couldn’t narrow it down and wanted to at least taste everything. The times she refused to eat a subpar dessert because it wasn’t worth the calories.

The countless times she laughed and said that fruit isn’t dessert, chocolate is the only real dessert. Laughing as she confidently asked a chef if he was sure there wasn’t something fabulous hiding in the kitchen that wasn’t on the menu and then watching in amazement at the tray of chocolate desserts that were magically provided.

The night she said, “We should just stay up all night, we’re halfway there already.” Seven hours later, with blurry eyes and an aching side from hours and hours of laughter, we dropped her off at the airport.

Joan was a master at making every moment of life the best it could possibly be.

We walked up and down the beach in St. Thomas, talking about our kids, and dreams for the next few years, and the crazy world of blogging. Joan called this past year her “year of travel.”

She met online friends in person and made countless new friends and memories. I’m happy that so many of us were able to hug the neck of our sweet friend and get to know her in person this year, as well as online.

The last time I saw her was in Georgia while I was visiting my family there. She drove up to Augusta, over 3 hours each way, just so that we could spend a few hours together. Not because “I” was important, but because relationships were important to her.

Joan loved spending time with friends and family and she lived her life to the fullest. She was one of the least pretentious, friendliest, and absolutely real people I’ve ever known.

Wandering around Augusta, GA together, we browsed antique stores looking for old silverware. Later we found a bakery to try.

She sweet talked the staff into pulling cakes out of the cold case so she could photograph them by the window and remember them to re-create the recipes at home.

Ordering a slice of every single dessert in that bakery, so she could taste each one. Laughing as we packed and took home two shopping bags full of the remaining desserts to share with my family.

Joan was an indescribably generous person. She achieved great success professionally and she shared her knowledge, her phenomenal social media reach, her blog’s traffic, every aspect of her success was shared with others.

She believed with every bit of her heart that blogging should be part of a community and never a competition. She helped everyone she met and made everyone’s life better just by knowing her.

Joan was the most prepared for death person I have ever known. She wanted to know that her children would be taken care of no matter what. She told everyone to “put it in writing” and “make sure everyone knows your intentions.”

It breaks my heart that her message to BE PREPARED turned out to be such practical advice instead of the hypothetical wisdom I would much rather it have been.

Her family was her world and she loved her kids so much that I ache for them right now. Joan’s love of life, family, and chocolate was evident through her blog, Chocolate, Chocolate, and More.

She created a chocolate-filled legacy for her family. Her dream was that her blog would help support her family over the coming years.

Joan died of a massive heart attack in the middle of the night. She was only 49 years old. She mentioned a stomach ache before going to sleep, not recognizing this is one of the signs of a possible impending event. (Many women think they are getting the flu prior to a heart attack.)

Please read through these Heart Attack Symptoms and always get checked out if you experience any of these and share them with your friends and family.

Joan Hayes 1966-2015, Photo Credit: Shanna Schad

Most importantly, go now and hug someone special to you, kids, spouse, friend, anyone. No matter what, just do it.

Wake them up, pick them up, get their attention, and tell them you love them. I’m heartsick for the loss of my friend and reminded once again that life is short.

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

A full list of blog posts dedicated to Joan can be found here. 

The post Lunch Lady Brownies appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Aren’t these things always supposed to be available? Didn’t rationing end with WWII? Like most of my generation, I’ve never gone to a grocery store prior to this pandemic wondering what might be available on the shelves.

An abundance of food is not something that I will likely ever take for granted. (I’ve talked about this many times here, here, here, here, and here as part of the reason why I choose to support Feeding America.)

Growing up, there were times when I watched my mom create meals out of very little. Charity food boxes were an exciting thing when they arrived, as there might be cool cereals, chips, or day-old donuts tucked inside.

In these moments of uncertainty, I’m actively looking for ways to be grateful for the little things that are happening everywhere around us. I’m overwhelmingly grateful for the human nature that is shining through in beautiful ways as well.

The acts of kindness and moments of happiness that I’ve seen shared online over the past month have brought me so much joy. If you have a story, please share it!

Right now, I’m grateful for the ability to sit on the porch, go for a walk, and most of all to enjoy the sunshine on these pretty spring days. I’ve made a habit of porch sitting in the morning and often the evenings too ever since we moved to Ohio and I’m even more thankful for that peace-filled habit now.

As a child in the middle of eight children, I missed the tightest of years for our family. My mom tells the following story of a particularly frugal season of life:

“I went to the store with a very small amount of money (I don’t remember how much), hoping to buy some meat. Back then ground beef was 99 cents a pound. Liver was 29 cents for a container the size of a small margarine tub. There were times I could not even walk past the meat counter because of the temptation to steal some.

Onions were 5 cents a pound. So, I bought the liver and two pounds of onions. We had one great meal and then fried onions until your father got paid a few days later. I always had beans and rice on hand so the onions provided an elegant garnish.”

I remember pinto beans and white rice on repeat throughout much of my childhood. My mom also made “Arroz con Pollo” (always said in Spanish to make it fancier!) which was always far more rice than chicken, but definitely an improvement over the constant beans on rotation.

One of my sister in laws recalls meeting the family over dinner and as my mom set a platter of chicken drumsticks on the table, apparently some of the younger kids were so excited they shouted “meat!”

The story makes me laugh now, as I recall there being meat for many of our meals, but she said that she immediately looked for the smallest piece on that platter to make sure there was plenty for the kids.

Yet, here I stand in 2020 able to buy what we need, but it isn’t there. For the past couple of weeks, you simply don’t know what you might find on the shelves at the grocery store. Will there be eggs in stock? or bread? or milk?

It isn’t good “business” right now to talk online about the Coronavirus or Covid-19 if you’re a food website.

The experts tell us that Google and advertisers will eventually search for the terms trending now as we deal with this pandemic and “reverse keyword target” them, meaning there is a list of keywords that they won’t want their advertisements to show next to.

The idea behind that is that if you post content with corona-related keywords in the posts, it is very likely that those posts will not earn nearly as well as your other content that does not include those keywords.

You know what? I just don’t care about that right now. This is a huge part of our life and our history and I don’t want to just gloss over it all.

There is so much unknown and I want to be present and listen and look for the joy in the little things around us. I want to help you where I am able.

Do you have random pantry ingredients that you’re trying to use? Shoot me a note, leave a comment on a recipe, or message me on Instagram.

Wondering if you can swap some chicken from the freezer for beef in a recipe? Odds are good that we can figure out a way to make it work with what you have on hand.

How are you doing, friends? How are you feeling? Do you want to talk about it? Please leave a comment.

Want to share something wonderful and great that is making you smile right now? PLEASE do that. Is it as simple as the cup of coffee that is breathing life into your day? Tell me about it.

We’re all in this together.

The post In these moments appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Doorways are quite a “thing” nowadays, aren’t they? People photograph them (there are endless hashtags just for door photography!), stage them, and walk neighborhoods just to see them.

While we were in Europe, I was entranced by all the different doorways we saw. From the very simple to the extraordinarily ornate, each door held a charm of its own.

From the wee little doorways to the soaring arches, beautiful doorways that have stood in some cases through the centuries, there was something special about them all.

While my own front door is a simple affair, my prayer is always that when a friend or stranger walks through my door they will find themselves welcome.

There are some truly spectacular doors throughout Europe and some wonderfully unique ones as well. I couldn’t resist snapping photo after photo in the different towns we visited.

As I walked through many of these doorways, everything from castles and cathedrals to thatched roof cottages in the countryside, I often wondered about the people and the families that have gone through them before me.

Did they feel welcome? Were they coming home or visiting? Did they find rest through this doorway?

I’m grateful for my partnership with Princess Cruises and the opportunities for travel that it has provided. However, as much as I love to travel, there will never be any place as wonderful as home.

Home doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be anything special by current standards.

When people walk through my doorway, I simply want them to find peace and a place to relax.

I love that Princess Cruises provides a true home away from home experience while seeing the world. (Albeit a far more luxurious home life than I have at my own home! That’s the fun of a vacation.)

Feeling welcome is important whether you’re at home or away, and no vacation I’ve taken has ever illustrated the spirit of hospitality the way a cruise with Princess does.

From the way your steward greets you by name every single time they see you, to the grins, laughter, and smiles shared with every employee you meet on the ship, a cruise with Princess never fails to make my heart happy.

If you have any questions about cruising, traveling with Princess, the foods, the FAQs, or anything not covered here, please shoot me a note.

And when you do book the vacation of your dreams, shoot me a note and then send me photos or tag me on social so that I can live vicariously through your travels too.

I adore cruising and want you all to love it every bit as much as I do!

The post Doorways appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

About a year ago, my husband and I started planning our first trip to Europe. We’ve been so excited and I loved that we were able to finally plan that much dreamed about trip to Europe for the year of our 20th wedding anniversary, which also happened to be the year I turned 40.

To make things even more fun, I had the awesome opportunity to partner with Princess Cruises for our dream vacation. As I write this today, we are cruising through the British Isles, having already visited nine cities in three different countries.

We never would’ve visited this many different places on our own two feet. You know how much I love sailing with Princess and as it turns out, this has truly been the best way imaginable to explore new countries for the first time.

All of that said, we’re supposed to be celebrating my 40th birthday at sea tomorrow. (Remember Princess’s Chocolate Lava Cake? Yes, I plan to eat that all over again.)

Which leads me to this text conversation with my childhood best friend. I met Maya when I was ten years old and she’s been a part of my life ever since. I sent the first text (the bubbles in blue) to Maya on HER birthday a few months ago.

To say that we’re still laughing about this doesn’t even begin to cover it. How do you forget how old you are? HOW? This is so absurd and yet so fantastically laughable, I’ve decided to just own it and share it with you today.

(And for those of you wondering exactly how this could have happened, I honestly don’t know. My best guess is that at some point, I had the wrong age in my head for myself and then after time went by, I just didn’t realize it. It wasn’t obvious until my “big 4-0” birthday rolled around and someone actually did the math. Thanks again, Maya.)

I hope it makes you laugh as you can now be grateful for the fact that no matter what else is going on in your life today, you at least know your own age.

I don’t mind finding myself a year older, I still love my laugh lines and I’ve been actively looking forward to 40. I just can’t believe that I somehow missed the fact I have already turned 40.

So, tonight, this is 40, and I will be celebrating the end of my 40th year, and tomorrow morning, I will very happily celebrate my 41st birthday.

My sister Jenny was lucky enough to be with me on a Princess cruise through the Caribbean last year on her birthday. We ate at the Chef’s Table that night and we’ve joked ever since that there really is no better way to spend your birthday.

I’ve been sharing this trip with you on Instagram and to answer the question I’ve heard most often over the past week, Sean and I are cruising through the British Isles on The Royal Princess.

Over the course of two weeks, we’ll visit 9 ports and 11 European cities. London in England, Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Dublin, and Belfast in Ireland, Kirkwall in the Scottish Orkney Islands, Glasgow, Invergorden, and Edinburgh in Scotland, Giverny and Rouen in France.

To say this is a dream vacation doesn’t even begin to describe it. Cruising really does give you the best of both worlds.

You have the convenience of having a home base along with the fun of exploring so many new places. You can bet that I’ll be sharing more of this trip with you when we return home next week.

Until then, here’s to knowing our true ages and not really caring about the number. Let’s just make the most of each day we’re alive.

And just in case you missed my Birthday Project, this is something we do every year and I look forward to it immensely. You can read more about it HERE.

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Princess Cruises to share my travels with you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information about Princess Cruises and/or to book a cruise visit their website.

The post That Time I Turned 40. Twice. appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

{It’s been six years since I first shared the Birthday Project with you. This has become an awesome tradition for my family and I look forward to it every year now.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve once again done many of the things listed below in celebration of this year’s birthday.}

Six years ago, I wrote:

I made a list and planned some activities ahead of time, but I also enjoyed being spontaneous as we ran into people that we could bless with these things. My kids and I started about a week before my 35th birthday and last Saturday, my husband joined us to finish the list.

I’m sharing my list today, at the request of several friends. My hope is that this inspires others to share a bit of kindness with someone else today.

The Birthday Project

1. Gave flowers away to the residents at a hospice and nursing care facility
2. Invited our next door neighbor to dinner
3. Brought in the neighbors’ trashcans
4. Gave a flower to the door greeter at Costco
5. Printed my birthday email from Redbox and taped the free movie code along with some tootsie pops to the front of the machine
6. Snuggled on the couch and watched a kid’s movie with my boys all morning instead of working around the house
7. Set up the kid’s wading pool and let them play for an hour before we left the house to run errands
8. Took a flower to the girl working at the hair salon next to the grocery store
9. Took a flower to our cashier at the produce store
10. Walked around the produce store giving away candy and telling the shoppers to have a great day
11. Gave granola bars and water to a homeless man
12. Anonymously paid for a stranger’s meal at a restaurant
13. Gave treat bags to the employees working in customer service at the grocery store
14. Gave miniature chocolate bars to shoppers at the grocery store
15. Gave a bag full of candy to our cashier at the grocery store, so that she could share with the other cashiers
16. Bought a gift card and then gave it to the person behind me in line at the grocery store
17. Sent cookies to a friend’s office for her to share with co-workers
18. Delivered treat bags and thank you notes to the librarians
19. Handed out lollipops to the rest of the people at the library
20. My kids and I hung out for a while in the doorway at the grocery store, telling everyone to have a great day
21. Made a big birthday breakfast for my kids and my husband – traditionally this is one of my husband’s gifts to me on my birthday
22. Delivered a carton of ice cream, cookies and homemade chocolate and caramel sauces to the fire station
23. Bought and then delivered toiletries to donate to the Phoenix Rescue Mission
24. Delivered cartons of ice cream and homemade chocolate or caramel sauce to the neighbors in our cul-de-sac
25. Took a bouquet of flowers to a neighbor living alone
26. Delivered flowers to some friends
27. Ran into a Jiffy Lube to deliver a bag of tootsie pops to the employees
28. Delivered a meal to my sister and her family when they were sick
29. Left candy and a thank you note for the mail carrier
30. Taped quarters to toy machines at the grocery store
31. Gave food to a homeless woman
32. Traded my fancy birthday dinner date night for taking my kids to see a movie on Saturday afternoon
33. Ran into a restaurant to give a free birthday dessert coupon to a table of strangers
34. Ran into another restaurant to give a free birthday appetizer coupon to a group of strangers
35. Gave jars of homemade salad dressings to the women in my small group

FAVORITE MOMENTS

My 8-year-old: “This is so much fun! I’m so happy. I can’t stop laughing and I feel like I’m going to burst.” Three days into this project –“ I still can’t believe how much fun this is. I never knew it was more fun to give things away than it is to get things!”

My 6-year-old: “This is awesome! I want to give away a bunch of my toys now and make more people happy.” “I wish we had more bags of stuff to give away to strangers!”

My 2-year-old: Telling every person he handed a treat bag to, “Have a good day!!” Sitting through his very first movie in a theater and looking over at us every 20 minutes or so and saying “Thank you much, thank you very much!”

Watching as my boys came to the realization for the first time in their life that it really is more fun to give than to receive was the most priceless birthday gift I could have asked for.

Thank you for letting me share my joy with you. Hearing back from friends and family members with stories of how they blessed other friends and strangers on my birthday was quite possibly the most fun of all.

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{It’s been four years since I shared this with you and the words are even more relevant to my life now than they were when I first wrote them.

Because life really is what you pay attention to. I want to spend time every day making a moment or two special, even on the days that really aren’t all that special.}

Live in the moment. We’ve all heard that, right? The day my son pushed my phone out of my hands was huge.

We’ve never used our cell phones at the table or been overly addicted to them by my standards, but clearly, they had become a big part of my life, if at two years old, he knew that when my eyes were on that screen, I wasn’t paying attention to his words.

There was the day that my toddlers were leaning on the gated doors to their bedrooms as I was mopping the floors and cleaning the bathroom across the hall sighing, and asking WHY I had to clean every day. Asking me when we could just snuggle.

“Treasure these moments.” “They’re only young once.” “They will be grown before you know it.” It’s hard to treasure those moments when your baby has colic, or when the reflux has trashed yet another outfit and the acidic smell of stomach juices have permeated every inch of your home.

Now, speaking with just ten years hindsight on that child, I’d give almost anything to have that smelly newborn on my shoulder with his knees tucked up almost to his chest. I didn’t grasp just how fleeting those days would be.

That there would come a time when that boy would be almost as tall as I am and so independent I simultaneously smile with pride while shouting on the inside for time to slow down.

I rushed through so many years wishing that they could buckle themselves into the car, or get their own drinks, or button their shirts and pants.

Looking back I realize that the moment they can buckle their own seatbelt is almost exactly the moment they won’t want to be carried and boosted into the car. I know now that I can still get an extra snuggle from my youngest as I lift him into the car, I wish I’d known that with his older brothers.

When my oldest turned 9 and we joked that he was halfway to adult, it stopped me in my tracks. Halfway done, knowing that I will never again do so many of the “firsts,” I am determined not to rush through another one.

I missed too many things, as I checked off my daily to-do lists. I didn’t actually listen as my children told me stories and shared their excitement with me.

I had so many things that “needed” to be done each day, I put making memories on hold.

I looked forward to the days that were set aside as “special for the kids” – vacation, weekends, parties, or holidays – while on a daily basis, I prioritized a clean house, the laundry, or a perfect dinner.

I thank God for the chance to live IN the moment now before my children are grown and out of my home. There are so many everyday moments to appreciate.

The special days are just that, special and appreciated, but the other ones are gold. Taking 15 minutes on the couch with the kids first thing in the morning is a priceless reminder of where I want my focus to be.

I remind myself every day that my actions today are what my children will remember as their childhood. Do I want them to remember a sparkling clean home?

An always organized closet? Does it matter in the end if their t-shirts are wrinkled because I forgot them in the dryer as we chose to put off folding the laundry in favor of a movie night?

Or will they remember that first thing each morning when they come out of their rooms, I drop what I’m doing and go snuggle on the couch?

Will they remember that in the midst of a crazy week, sometimes we cancel all the errands and activities outside the house and build a tent instead?

Do I want them to run through their lives with the words “hurry up,” pushing them in a needless race? Why do we say, “hurry” on days when there is no reason to hurry beyond our own impatience?

Do I want to create the memory of a mom who forever had a phone in her hand? Or would I rather their mental image be me encouraging them to grab a book and come read with me on the couch? I try to live the life today that I want my family to remember.

This has nothing to do with possessions or travel or exciting activities. I want to give my children the gift of my time. The peace that comes from knowing that the true value in our lives can never be bought, or planned for, or scheduled into a fancy future vacation.

I want a connection with my kids that will go beyond the parenting. I want them to remember, and to know beyond a doubt that they were far more important than a clean house, my job, my friends, and the extended family.

If we have a less than perfect house today, there will be plenty of time for a spotless home in the future.

I’d rather actively live in the moment and make memories with my kids than allow my to-do list and other priorities to create their childhood memories. In the end? Everything else is just stuff.

The post Don’t Put Your Memories On Hold appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

So many of you emailed asking for all the details regarding my Lasik experience, I’m sharing the full scoop on my Lasik experience with you here today. I shared some of my initial thoughts on Instagram and Snapchat and promised that I’d write up the whole story after my eyes had healed completely.

If you do not want the details of my Lasik surgery, you’ll want to skip reading today’s post and head directly to this post on How To Eat A Salad Everyday {and Like It!} and then satisfy your sweet tooth with a couple of these Monster Cookie Bars.

Why Lasik?

For as long as I can remember, I was hesitant to consider Lasik. However, my eyes have always been super sensitive to light and I finally hit my limit with the constant swapping of my regular glasses to prescription sunglasses. I’ve been wearing contacts more frequently than ever over the past few years and I never was able to wear them for more than 6-8 hours max.

I let the unknown scare me away from Lasik for a lot of years. When I finally researched it seriously, I learned that the procedure is incredibly advanced and it’s also lightning fast. I finally decided to do it.

My initial consultation took about an hour and a half. Eye measurements, prescription checking, double checking, and triple checking. Lengthy conversations and consultations to make sure you know the procedure inside out. Once I knew I was a candidate for Lasik (most people are), I immediately booked my procedure for later that week.

The truth about Lasik: What to expect during Lasik surgery

On the day of my Lasik, the actual procedure itself took less than 5 minutes. Your eyes are completely numbed with drops and there is no pain to the Lasik procedure itself.

Literally 22 seconds on each eye (to detach the cornea). This is a strong suction feeling on your eye that while very uncomfortable is fast enough that it’s over before you know it. Your vision goes black for a few seconds and then it’s done.

I’m not going to sugar coat any of this story, okay? That part of the process was not fun. I don’t know if it was the crazy feeling of the unknown or the suction or what exactly, but I was literally telling myself “you can do ANYTHING for less than 1 minute.”

Immediately following that, there’s the laser procedure itself. You stare into a colored light and (in my case) the procedure lasted just 11 seconds on one eye and 7 seconds on the other one. While it was a little difficult to focus on the colored light, it wasn’t painful at all.

After that, more medicated eye drops and dark sunglasses for the ride home. (You definitely need a driver for Lasik day.) I couldn’t focus through the blur and my eyes were tearing constantly. Doctor’s orders were to go home and go straight to sleep. Ideally, for 3-4 hours at least. You’ll be given clear glasses/goggles to sleep in so that you won’t accidentally rub your eyes in your sleep.

First 24 hours after Lasik

The first afternoon was rough. I only slept about 2 hours and my eyes really hurt. Your eyes will burn when you wake up and you need to put drops in every 20 minutes, alternating a few doses of the medicated drops with the sterile tear drops.

There is relief with the drops, but in my case, I could barely see through the haze and light was painful that first night. So I wore light sunglasses in the dim house and listened to an audiobook. No tv, minimal texting, no reading or computer work.

As promised, things were so much better in the morning. It was amazing to look across the room and see the clock without my glasses, to walk through the house without my glasses, to make coffee and see the writing on the side of the package.

I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor the next morning. I had Sean drive me because my eyes were still a little tired and it was nice to be able to close them when the sun was super bright despite wearing sunglasses.

My follow-up appointment with the doctor was a fast one. My vision was officially better than hoped, 20/15 in both eyes less than 24 hours after my Lasik procedure. The doctor told me that my vision should continue to improve through the week and the slight haze should be gone completely in the next week or two.

I did have subconjunctival hemorrhages on both eyes following the surgery and for about two weeks afterward. This is simply a bruise which presents as red spots on the white of the eye. These red spots are temporary and usually disappear in about a week and two. They are completely cosmetic, cause no pain, and have no impact on a patient’s vision.

Post Lasik instructions from the doctor, for the first two weeks:
Most important – do not rub your eyes. Avoid touching them at all.
Clear glasses/goggles to sleep in for one week.
Medicated drops 4 times daily for one week.
No make-up, eye creams, or any other products near the eyes, at all for two weeks.
No swimming, hot tubs, smoke-filled areas (campfire or bbq grills), basically avoid any situations that might irritate your eyes normally.
Blink tear drops, anytime eyes are dry or burning or irritated, about an hour apart. You can’t use them too much. You want to keep your eyes as hydrated as possible.

Week one after Lasik

Two days after the surgery – a slight haze happens when my eyes are dry now, and frequent use of eye drops is encouraged and immediately clears it. I used the sterile tear drops about every 30 minutes to an hour. There’s no pain at all now. Just a little sore or tired, but the tear drops relieve that.

Four days later – this whole Lasik thing was pretty amazing. My eyes were still extremely dry in the mornings. The routine was sterile tear eyedrops as needed for the next month or two. The dr said the more eye drops I used, the faster they’ll heal, so I set an alarm on the hour for a couple weeks and made sure they never actually got dry during the day.

What to expect months after Lasik

Three weeks post Lasik – eyes were still dry, that can last up to six months and in very few cases is permanent. The teardrops help immensely. Second follow-up appointment, no more visits should be necessary.

Two months post Lasik – I can tell you now that I wish I’d done this years ago. If you’re even considering it and it is an option for you, I encourage you to do it. Having clear eyesight without the help of glasses or contacts is better than I ever imagined.

I notice that my eyes are dry a handful of times a day, and the teardrops immediately relieve that. I still use the drops first thing each morning, but it’s nothing like the severe dry eye that was the initial wake up post Lasik.

Other than still needing eye drops on occasion, this is better than perfect vision and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to finally have Lasik. I thought it would be kind of like just wearing contacts all of the time, but this is so much better.

Now that I no longer need them, anyone know the best place to donate all of these glasses?

The post My Lasik Experience: the good, the bad, and the burn appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Earlier this year, I was honored to write the forward for Jami Amerine’s new book, Stolen Jesus. Today I’m sharing a peek into this book and hoping that it will touch your life as much as it has touched mine.

Excerpt from the forward to Stolen Jesus:

As I set this book down (after reading through it in a single day) I realize what a gift I am holding. I’ve cried, laughed, smiled, and sighed with Jami through these pages.

The REAL Jesus, the Jesus that I want my children to grow up with, He is right here. He is good. He is grace. He is everything.

I found Jami’s blog, Sacred Ground Sticky Floors, years ago and felt an immediate connection. I laughed as I read that first blog post. I finished reading and immediately sent that link to at least seven of my friends.

Could this woman possibly be any more my kind of person? Through the real moments she shares that we have all had as parents, Jami shares her heart and her Jesus with everyone she meets and keeps you laughing through it all.

This book is for the lifelong Christian who just needs a little reminder of how real Jesus is in their everyday circumstances, but it isn’t just for them.

This book is also for the brand new believer who still sees the world through shiny rose-colored glasses.

And this book is for everyone out in the world who “broke up with Jesus” years ago, because they were looking at people and circumstances and not at Christ Himself.

If you’ve spent your life searching for Jesus in people and places and things, Stolen Jesus was written especially for you. Jami’s journey is one that we’ve all taken.

From church camp to college, from that first sweet child’s prayer to the angry prayer we’ve cried in the midst of heartache, Jesus has been there for us through every step along the way.

I share Jami’s blog with as many people as I possibly can and today, I am thrilled to be able to share her book as well.

It is an honor to be writing this foreword and my prayer is that this book will touch your lives as deeply as it has touched mine.

Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you today. I’m so happy to call you my friends. We’ve cooked and learned together over the years and I can’t imagine my life without my little corner of the internet and each of you.

Click here to check out Jami’s blog, Sacred Ground Sticky Floors.

Click here to check out Stolen Jesus by Jamie Amerine. #stolenjesus

The post Stolen Jesus appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Inspired a couple years ago by a desire to slow down more often and hold a cup of coffee with two hands while visiting with friends; I’ve been hitting pause on the daily routine and taking a bit of time for myself with people that I enjoy.

Every so often, I’ll send out a text inviting a handful of friends to come and share a cup of coffee on a weekday morning. Kids are welcome, no activities are planned. Kids can come and just play. Dress code is ultra casual, yoga pants are welcome and makeup is definitely not required.

The post Two-Handed Coffee appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

This is the original post that I dedicated to Joan, but I wanted to share my friends’ memories of Joan with you as well.

Whether Joan touched your life physically, with a giant hug and unending laughter, or with a relationship forged online and just as real, she was a gift to all of us. My memories of her will forever be filled with laughter and joy.

This month we would have been celebrating Joan’s 50th birthday with her. So, in her memory, I am sharing these memories with you once more.

Gail – Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Lynne – Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Rebecca – Foodie with Family

Christi – Love from the Oven

Lynne – 365 Days of Baking

Meseidy – The Noshery

Melissa – Melissa’s Southern Kitchen

Amanda – I Am Baker

Rachel – Rachel Cooks

Melissa – Bless This Mess

Lori – Recipe Girl

Brooks – Recipe Boy

Brianne – Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Carolyn – All Day I Dream About Food

Nancy – The Bitter Side of Sweet

Barbara – Barbara Bakes

Erin – Dinners Dishes & Desserts

Aimee – Shugary Sweets

Lisa – Wine and Glue

Becca – It’s Yummi

Kayle – The Cooking Actress

Julianne – Beyond Frosting

Heidi – Foodie Crush

Amy – Very Culinary

Tonia – The Gunny Sack

Carrie – Frugal Foodie Mama

Erin – Texanerin

Zainab – Blahnik Baker

Cathy – Noble Pig

Rachel – Southern Fairytale

Sue – The View From Great Island

Cheryl – Tidy Mom

Katrina – In Katrina’s Kitchen

Sandy – Reluctant Entertainer

Lauren – Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Dorothy – Crazy for Crust

Meaghan – The Decorated Cookie

Anna – Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Audra – The Baker Chick

Nicole – Wonky Wonderful

Jocelyn – Grandbaby Cakes

Des – Life’s Ambrosia

Marly – Chopped Podcast

Jen – Yummy Healthy Easy

Amber – Food Fanatic

Trish – Mom on Timeout

Lindsay – Life, Love & Sugar

Aubrey – Real Housemoms

Holly – Spend with Pennies

Danielle – Hugs & Cookies

Cathy – Lemon Tree Dwelling

Emily – Grace and Good Eats

Heather – French Press

Peabody – Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Kelly – Life Made Sweeter

Deborah – Taste and Tell

Ashton – Something Swanky

Allie – Baking A Moment

Crystal – Mrs. Happy Homemaker

Jocelyn – BruCrewLife

Alyssa – What’s Cooking Love

Julie – The Little Kitchen

Shanna – Pineapple and Coconut

Kirsten – Comfortably Domestic

Robin – Simply Southern Baking

Nikki – Chef In Training

Sara – My Imperfect Kitchen

Lyuba – Will Cook For Smiles

Samantha – Five Heart Home

Sara – Bitz & Giggles

Hayley – The Domestic Rebel

Kelley – The Grant Life

Jamie – I Heart Naptime

Kristen – Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Kelli – Yum Goggle

Monica – The Yummy Life

Kristen – Dine and Dish

Liz – That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Anita – Hungry Couple

Carrie – Frugal Foodie Mama

Lauren – Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Erin – Texanerin

Lynne – 365 Days of Baking

Miranda – Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt

Nancy – The Bitter Side of Sweet

Hayley – The Domestic Rebel

Brianne – Cupcakes and Kale Chips

If you have written a blog post dedicated to Joan and I missed it in this list, please email me a link and I will add it to the list. She was precious to all of us and I’d love to include all of our shared memories here.

You will find the hashtag #chocolateforjoan all over the internet and you can go directly to it with these links for Instagram and Twitter.

Share some chocolate with a friend and make some new memories today. Joan would have wanted us to do that.

The post Remembering Joan Hayes appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.