A Countdown To Dear Evan Hansen, A Chubby Puppy, and A Structured Reset

Happy August! This morning, I unsurprisingly thought, “I can’t believe it’s August.” And then, I looked at the countdown clock this afternoon… 119 days 17 hours!!! Just a teeny tiny bit under four months until the scheduled first day of load in for the return of the first national tour of Dear Evan Hansen. Four months! I remember when that used to feel like a long time, but I know better now. Especially when you consider the fact that our last day of work was 504 days ago! Do you know how much you can forget in 16 and a half months?… Anywho, there are a lot of things that need to be scheduled and accomplished in the next four months to get ready to return to life on the road. As if touring a Broadway musical and maintaining a clean eating lifestyle weren’t tricky enough, this time, I am adding a dog, a car, and a LOT of driving. I’m certainly not the first person to attempt it, but it can be kind of tricky. Some of the planning is logistics, but a lot of the planning is training. For me and for my dog, Codee. This is him a few days after I adopted him.

Codee – October 24th, 2020



A few months ago, Codee woke up unable to open his mouth which led us down a path of the vet saying “wait and see” to x-rays to CT Scans to a biopsy…and somewhere along the way, a jar of nut butter…or 12…This is where the slope got slippery. Told that Codee had cancer, I decided it was okay to binge on the couch together and watch TV. I quickly returned to my old ways of using food as a means of comfort and numbing. The outlook was a little bleak, for sure, and what I started was a pattern that became a habit that became a ritual. Then we received some encouraging, albeit confusing, biopsy results, so we saw a specialist. Codee was diagnosed with a disease called masticatory muscle myositis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masticatory_muscle_myositis). Great news!!! Not cancer, but how do we get his mouth open again? You can see that he has always been pretty into snacks…

Codee, Atlantic Beach, FL – November 2, 2020
Highly food motivated even in his very young days…


Masticatory muscle myositis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the muscles of mastication and the muscle fibers are then replaced with scar tissue ultimately leading to irreversible restriction of the jaw. Not good, but it seems we caught it in time. The treatment for masticatory muscle myositis is a high dose of the steroid prednisone which suppresses the immune system. The potential side effects include lethargy, increased appetite, weight gain, increased thirst, increased panting, increased urination. Not to be considered an underachiever, Codee really leaned into having all of them. Add the Florida summer heat and a road trip and “suddenly” we are both 15-20lbs. heavier than is comfortable for either one of us!

Codee, Atlantic Beach, FL – July 30th, 2021

You’ll notice I’m only showing pictures of Codee even though I’m the one, largely, in charge of our access to food. I say “largely” because you cannot imagine how good this dude is at finding snacks (read:trash and gross dead things) on our walks, but the point is that I am responsible for both of us and it’s time to swing the pendulum back to tour ready.

I have been missing my daily updates, so one of my goals is to get back in the habit of sharing things that make me smile, quick plates that I think are tasty, and to use this as a platform for accountability. Of course, it’s not just about the number on the scale. I think that a lot of things will be different this go around on Dear Evan Hansen, but I can almost certainly guarantee that neither of those things will be the weight limit for actor trunks, which I lift, or the number of steps I need to take on the daily. I need to be in excellent physical condition to tour comfortably, so it’s time to get prepared. 

Codee gazing longingly at some French fries he found on the street after being told he couldn’t eat them…
Atlantic Beach, FL – July 30th, 2021

Tomorrow, will be all about structure and intentional choice, so today I am sharing a little indulgence with my Toasted Coconut Cashew Butter recipe. I will admit that I consume more peanut butter (yes, the organic natural variety) and it’s a bigger trigger these days, but it’s more cost effective to buy peanut butter.  On the other hand, Toasted Coconut Cashew is my absolute favorites for a splurge and it’s super easy to make. Equally delicious on ice cream, fruit, or a spoon, it’s also a great base for trying other flavors. Toasting the cashews and coconut really helps add flavor and the fats from the cashews and coconut make it super creamy. Be sure to let them COOL COMPLETELY before blending or the consistency will be off. Feel free to use a food processor or a blender, but know that I prefer to use both. The volume in my recipe is just a bit too much for my size VitaMix straight out of the gate, so I let the food processor take care of the bulk of the work and then I run it through the VitaMix to ensure a smooth and consistent finish.

Toasted Coconut Cashew on the sheet tray, The Blend in the food processor.
Atlantic Beach, FL – December 2020

I use 7oz of raw cashews and 2oz of shredded, unsweetened coconut. I toast it all on a half sheet pan at 250 degrees until is all about the same latte color…let it cool completely and then whirl it all up. Tasty the day it’s made, but even better the next day. I keep mine in the fridge, which solidifies it because of the coconut oil. I like to think this slows my consumption ever so slightly. Enjoy!

Clockwise from Top Left – Pina Colada, The Blend, Blueberry Cashew, Toasted Coconut Cashew

Stay safe and moving, y’all!