2010 October|Chia Seed Me

Oct 31, 2010 Posted by candice on Oct 31, 2010 in Olive, just for fun, recipes, vegan, vegetarian | 13 comments

hap-bee halloween!

Olive says “I hope you had a ‘Hap-bee’ Halloween weekend!!”

Is there some kind of competition for cutest dog costume contest?

Some may think it’s silly to dress up animals for Halloween, but I think it’s just so darn cute. And besides, with no human children to speak of we must spend our time doing something!

We did have some Halloween fun with humans this weekend as well. Saturday night we headed over to our friends’ house for a party with our Sunday School class. We had sort of potluck with lots of delicious food, roasted marshmallows and a pumpkin carving contest! I was the proud wife of the best carved pumpkin winner. Here’s the husband’s masterpiece:

Not bad for a graphic designer, eh?

Anyway, I signed up to bring a pasta salad to the party. The main dish was slated to be ribs, and when we arrived our sweet hostess proudly announced that they had grilled 15 pounds of ribs - “so eat up!!” haha. Lovely:)

I don’t mean to be cynical at all – this is one of the sweetest couples you’d ever meet, but I have to admit that I cringed a bit at the announcement. Anyway, I usually sign up to bring some kind of side dish or salad when we got to parties, so that I’ll for sure have something substantial to eat that is vegetarian. And for this particular occasion I decided to go with a classic favorite.

Summery Fall Couscous Salad

Even though it’s technically more of a summery dish, I knew it would be a hit. Plus the recipe makes a huge amount, perfect for parties and potlucks. Seriously ya’ll, if you get a chance, please make this salad. Once people get past the “foreigness” of couscous there is no holding them back. Sometimes I even make it just to have at the house – and the husband eats it like candy:) If you’re making it just for your family though, you may want to half the recipe.

The stars of this salad:

My sweet friend, Grace, also brought a tasty salad that was meat free, so I enjoyed some of that, a few chips and some bread!

And a s’more of course.

Anyway, it was a great time. You really can’t beat good food and great friends, ya know?

After the party Saturday night, we stopped by Redbox to rent a movie – The Greatest. Have you seen it? If you don’t mind movies that make you bawl for an hour straight, then you should definitely rent it!

Jon loves to rent really sad movies with me and then fall asleep and make me watch them by myself.

Case in point: When we were in Tokyo a couple of years ago, we got in bed to watch P.S. I Love You. Um, yeah. Talk about a tear jerker. Within 5 minutes the husband was fast asleep, and I was left to be sucked into this horribly sad movie all by myself. I got revenge, however, when he woke up to me sobbing uncontrollably at 1am, begging him to tell me why he made me watch it all alone. And that is no exaggeration, my friends. I was an complete mess. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean.

Anyway, so last night was pretty much a replay, but not quite as intense.

Needless to say I woke up after only about 5 hours of sleep, puffy eyed and tired. I’m sure everyone at church wondered just what kind of party we had Saturday night, haha. o’well!

Naturally, it is now almost midnight, and I still have some tasks to finish up. I’m working on something for tomorrow’s post that I’m pretty excited about. Heather is having a special post this week where she’s linking other bloggers who took on a recipe that is a challenge and is out of their comfort zone. I love challenges like this! Stay tuned…

See you guys tomorrow:) Let’s start strong for another week!

What was the craziest or funniest costume you saw this weekend? While it wasn’t super crazy, on Saturday afternoon at about 4 o’clock I happened to glance out our front window, and there was a Peter Pan and Tinker Bell walking down our street. I know it was the day before Halloween and all, but there was just something funny about it:) lol.

dear husband

thank you for…

surprising me with a cupcake today at lunch

humoring me when I always ask you to take pictures of me with my food. oh, and also for not getting embarrassed when I take pictures of myself with food.

goofing off in the backyard with me during your lunch hour.

and loving me despite all my insecurities and annoying habits.

i have no earthly idea what i would do without you.

love,

candice

Hope you all get to spend time with the person you love the most this weekend. Happy Halloween:)

a bit heavy for a morning run

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”

- Audrey Hepburn

This morning I hit the treadmill just as the Ellen show was coming on. How convenient…great entertainment for an entire 45 minutes. My goal was 4 miles, no matter how I got there. And with a little bit of walking and a lot of jogging, I made it.

Today Ellen featured Michelle Obama on the show, and they talked about a plethora of topics. But one thing in particular that interested me was what Michelle had to say about the culture of bullying in our country (you can see the video here).

I think it is safe to say that bullying has gotten worse in many ways in America. Not only are our children experiencing more bullying in schools than ever before, but also in other areas, such as politics. How many times a day do we see a commercial where one politician is slandering his/her opponent? How many times a day do we hear our President bashed in some way? For as long as I can remember it has bothered me that people rally behind someone running for office, and then the second that person gets voted in, suddenly they’re being attacked in one way or another. It seems that many people (not all) have a lack of awareness or sensitivity when it comes to the way they treat other people.

Michelle’s main point was that if we as adults are treating our peers this way, what can we expect from our children? What kind of example are we really setting for them? She made a call to action for all of us to start being kinder to one another, recognizing that we don’t all have to agree, but we can still respect each other. We can respect the fact that we’re all different, and we all have different values and ideals. And just because someone sees things differently than we do, doesn’t mean they’re a bad person or that they have bad intentions.

Honestly, I really appreciated the way she handled this topic, and I agree so much with what she had to say. I did not vote for Obama in the election, but I think it is so important to still respect him as a person and as our president. Even if I don’t necessarily agree with his stance on certain issues.

Anyway, this just really got me thinking this morning about how we really can make a difference for ourselves, for those we know, and for future generations if we let go of the judgment and animosity toward people who are different than we are and love each other simply because we’re all human. We obviously have a long way to go as a culture and as a country, but I really believe that every little thing we can do makes a difference. Amen?!

Heavy stuff for a morning run.

And then I came home and ate oatmeal:)

Thick n Creamy Pumpkin Oats

Ingredients

1/2 banana, mashed and melted in the microwave
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 water
1/3 almond/soy milk
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a dash of cinnamon
dried cranberries

Directions

Mash half a banana in a bowl and heat in microwave for 45 seconds – 1 minute
Mix together oats, water, soy milk, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring after one minute
Add banana to oat mixture and mix well.
Sprinkle with dried cranberries and enjoy!

You could also use maple syrup or molasses to sweeten instead of mashed banana, and it would be really delish I think. And you could add chopped walnuts for some extra crunch – the possibilities are endless!

And lunch was so simple it’s not even funny.

This times two! Ezekiel bread with a layer of Trader Joe’s flax almond butter and a thin spread of TJ’s pumpkin butter. I figured out that if I think of the pumpkin butter as more of a jam than a butter I actually really like it. Score!

Today was a busy day, and although it started off pretty swell, the afternoon was not so dandy:( It was just one of those days where you just want to crawl into bed and have a good cry. And I may or may not have done so…and then driven straight to Starbucks for a little comfort (aka decaf soy pumpkin spice latte with no whipped cream and half the syrup). If you follow me on twitter, you may have sensed some tension in my tweets. But tomorrow is a new day!

And for one of my favorite phrases: onward and upward!

Love you guys!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway if you haven’t already!

Do you love pumpkin? What’s your favorite way to use it?! And decorating counts:)

a big bowl of mustard

Hi!

I love Wednesday evenings. Don’t you just love Wednesday evenings? It’s the first time of the whole week that we’re on the downhill slide to the weekend.

Wednesday night’s also my yoga night. The 5:30 class that I teach caps off an entire afternoon of tutoring, and honestly tonight I was just so tired all I wanted to do was collapse on the sofa. But alas, as with most other times I feel that way, yoga is precisely what I need.

This morning I made it to the gym and did a 20 minute run at 6.0 pace and then hit the weights. I’ve decided I’m going to knock out a short cardio session + weights on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Tuesday and Thursday will be just cardio days. So far I’m liking the schedule…granted today is only Wednesday.

While I’m liking the schedule, I’m not too sure how my muscles feel about it. So far they won’t stop complaining. But I know it will get better. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it

Anyway, this morning was so busy with random tasks that I didn’t have time to eat breakfast.

Didn’t have time to eat breakfast!

This is not normal (for me). Or acceptable.

And now it’s 10 pm. I’ve had dinner. I’ve had froyo. I’m still wanting to snack on something.

Rest assured, I’m not hungry. But you know how they (who is “they” anyway?) say that people who don’t eat breakfast, eat more throughout the day? I’ve never really given that theory a test run, but after today I totally believe it! I have no doubt that my urge to keep snacking all night long is correlated to my lack of breakfast this morning. Especially considering I worked out.

Anyway. Onto more important things. I figure I’ve teased you long enough about this out-of-this-world creamy squash soup, eh?

ooooooh, ahhhhhh.

Looks delicious?!

Or looks like mustard in bowl?

I’ll let you decide.

Outrageously Creamy Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 medium sized kabocha squash (Okay, okay, any squash will probably work)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp all spice
1 tsp sea salt

Directions

Cut squash up into wedges and lay on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until a fork pierces it easily.
Once squash is tender, allow to cool (or burn yourself if you’re impatient like me) before peeling or cutting skins off.
Put squash in a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan or a microwaveable safe bowl and heat through before serving.

I would also highly suggest holding out a few pieces of roasted squash to snack on while the soup is whirring. Do it! Do it! Do it!

Hope you guys have had a fantastic start to the week. Onward to Friday!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway. I’ll love you forever!

P.S.S. I’ve updated some of my tabs at the top, and I’d love for you to check ‘em out when you get a chance!

P.S.S.S Are you supposed to add more p’s or more s’s in these kinds of situations?

Do you have a workout routine/schedule that you stick to? Or do you just wing it?

the secret to workout motivation + a giveaway!

Hey guys!

Remember a couple of months ago when I made this?

How about this?

If you remember, I told you that I’d be hosting a giveaway to give one CSM reader their very own spiralizer.

Well the time has come!

CSN stores has offered to give away a $45 giftcard to one of you guys. If you’re not familiar with CSN, they have hundreds of online stores in which they carry everything from wardrobes to cookware to chic light fixtures. You could seriously browse for hours! Not that I would know.

So, while I’d love for you to show the spiralizer some love (’cause I know it would love you right back), I also think it’s great to let you guys choose whatever you want!

So here’s the scoop:

For one entry leave a comment on this post telling me if you had to pick one food to eat every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
For one entry put ChiaSeedMe on your blogroll
For one entry mention the giveaway in a blog post and link back to this post
For one entry follow me on twitter (@chiaseedme)

You can enter as many ways as you want – just make sure to let me know which ones you did (or already do) in the comments! Good luck!

The contest will close next Monday at midnight (central time).

**Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Sorry, international friends:(

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

This morning I put in a quick interval workout just like yesterday’s. My legs felt like lead! I wanted to stop so badly after about 15 minutes, but I just kept telling myself “you are strong, confident, and you have the ability to have a kick-butt workout!”

I’m not gonna lie though – it felt so good to stop and walk:) I’m reminded this week of the key to truly motivate myself as far as workouts. Wanna know the secret?

Workout!

That’s right. Workout.

Getting to the gym, feeling those endorphins flow, and beginning to feel and see improvements in your health will give you the motivation and drive to keep going each day. It will work, I promise.

So, I had big plans to tell you guys about the creamiest squash soup you’ll ever taste, but that will have to be postponed now. Tonight’s dinner was just too good to keep to myself.

Tofu Broccoli Cashew Asian Stir-fry
adapted from Eat Drink and Be Vegan

Ingredients

For tofu:
1 pkg extra firm tofu, cut into rectangles
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp red wine vinegar

For sauce:
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp agave nectar (pure maple syrup would also work I think)
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
.5 tbsp molasses
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp arrowroot powder

For Stir-fry:
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
2 pinches of sea salt
2 tbsp water
2 red, orange or yellow bell peppers
.5 cup raw cashews

Is this not the most awesome pepper you’ve ever seen? My step-dad picked it from his garden and gave it to me (after my sister and I fought over it, that is:). Thanks, Clark! I didn’t want to say good-bye to it, but alas, I needed a second red bell pepper.

Directions

Place tofu rectangles in a shallow dish. Pour soy sauce and vinegar over the top and make sure each piece is covered. Allow tofu to marinate for 10-15 minutes
In a medium sized bowl, whisk sauce ingredients until arrowroot powder is dissolved
In a large skillet or wok, heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add tofu and saute until all sides are browned (I like mine crispy on the outside!)
Remove tofu from pan and set it aside
Add a little bit more oil, 2 tbsp water and broccoli to wok/skillet. Place a lid over it and allow to cook for about 5 minutes
Add bell pepper and continue to saute for another several minutes
Add tofu, sauce and cashews and toss to coat
Continue to cook on medium heat until sauce has thickened

Serve over brown rice, quinoa, bulgur or any other grain!

This was by far the best stir-fry meal I’ve ever made – it tasted like it came straight from an Asian restaurant. I think the key ingredient is the arrowroot powder. It makes the sauce thick and syrupy, mmmm.

Wel,, that’s it for tonight! I’ve got to go look over my yoga class for tomorrow night. I didn’t teach last week because we were in DC, so I’m feeling a little rusty. A few down dogs and sun salutations, and I’ll be back in business methinks.

And by the way, you may notice some changes around these parts over the next few days. The husband is working out some kinks and getting a little crazy at times, but I’m trying to keep him reigned in. You give him an inch…

Also, I added a couple of new pages at the top today and revamped some of my old ones! If you have a second, check out my new “about” page as well as my “moves” page, which also has some info about PiYo. Let me know what ya think!

Oh, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!! If you’re not in the market for anything for yourself, you could win someone a Christmas present!

What is your key motivator for working out? Do you have any tricks for staying consistent when the going gets tough? Please share!

a special day

Hello!

Today has been a very special day.

This morning when I rolled out of bed, I decided that today would be one of the best days of the year. And it was! It was!

For starters I booked it to the gym and made a leap towards getting out of my workout rut. After sadly taking a step back from marathon training, I’ve had a hard time getting back into a groove. This morning I stopped making excuses and got my be-hind in gear! Right after popping 3 dried apricots for some energy.

I kicked things off with a 25 minute interval run on the treadmill. IMO intervals make the time go by so much faster. Well, that and a killer playlist. Anyway. Instead of focusing so much on getting through a 25 minute run, I was able to break it down and focus on getting through each interval. Here it is:

walking warmup
- 2 min. at 6.0
- 1 min. at 6.5
- 1 min. at 7.0
- 1 min. at 7.5
- 2 min. at 6.0
- 1 min. at 6.5
- 1 min. at 7.0
- 1 min. at 7.5
- 1 min. at 6.0
- 1 min. at 6.5
- 1 min. at 7.0
- 1 min. at 6.0
- 1 min. at 6.5
- 1 min. at 7.0
- 1 min. at 6.0
- 1 min. at 6.5
- 1 min. at 7.0
- 1 min. at 7.5
- walk for 5 min.

Felt so great when it was over. Exhilarating:)

Next up: the weights.

I’ve been avoiding the iron for months. But not today. I started with free weights, working my arms; then moved to machines to work my legs. And I finished it all off with some serious plank action on the mat. Serious plank action, I tell ya. Hardest part of the entire workout.

Once I got home, I refueled with a green smoothie.

1 scoop Vega powder, 1 cup almond milk, 2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 banana, chia seeds and ice

Lunch was leftover vegan spinach enchiladas from last night. Just as good the second time around.

And then it was off to tutoring! As you guys know, I adore the students I tutor. Okay, okay. Nada sometimes drives me a little batty, but other than that they always bring a smile to my face. Not only that, but I almost always come away a wiser person. Here’s what I learned today:

from Hey-Kyoung: Korean people keep two refrigerators. One for regular food. And one for kimchi. An entire fridge for kimchi! Are you, my fellow nut butter lovers, thinking what I’m thinking? muahahaha.

from Nada: the cookie monster (you know the one – from Sesame Street) no longer eats a lot of cookies apparently. Have you all heard about this? Somehow it was decided that he was partially to blame for childhood obesity, so now he eats veggies and says that “cookies are a sometimes food.” What?!

They never cease to entertain. My students that is, not Sesame Street.

By the time I got done tutoring it was past 5:30, and I was famished! I had snacked on a Larabar between meetings, but it was quickly wearing away. I decided to keep dinner simple and quick.

I chopped up a kabocha squash into thin wedges and then brushed them with coconut oil before putting them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Next, I drained and rinsed some canned chickpeas, spread them on a cookie sheet and shook cumin, garlic powder and seasoned salt all over them before sticking them in the oven as well for about 15 minutes.

I also cut up one flax protein pita into triangles and baked it for about 10 minutes.

Our oven was full of love tonight! ha.

Everything was going great until I opened our fridge and was attacked by a soy yogurt.

Time to clean out the fridge, folks.

Anyway, dinner came together nicely. A bit random, but it worked.

spread with a little bit of Earth Balance

I had so much leftover squash tonight that I couldn’t help but come up with a tasty way to use it…well, besides the obvious of slathering it with EB and eating it straight up, but you already knew that.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the creamiest vegan squash soup you’ve ever laid eyes on.

Now that’s special.

G’night!

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were a kid? What was your favorite childhood TV show? Mister Rogers? CareBears? My favorite was My Little Pony. Every day after we took my sister to school, I would run straight to the TV and ask “is it 43 or 34?” I never could remember which channel, but I had to have my pony fix:)

tempeh veggie chili

Good evening!

I can’t believe the weekend is already over.

I arrived home from DC around 8 o’clock Friday night, but the husband didn’t get home until after midnight! Our flights were supposed to land in Tulsa within 15 minutes of each other, but his got delayed…twice. Wouldn’t you know it?

Anyways, I decided to go ahead and drive the hour home without him, and then he hitched a ride with his coworkers. We had such a great time while we were gone, but it felt so great to get home. Isn’t that how it always is?

After getting in bed so late on Friday night, we accidentally overslept on Saturday morning and didn’t wake up until 11:30! We were both a little sad to have missed out on the whole morning, but apparently we needed the sleep, so it’s all good:)

Saturday afternoon we had to work in the suites for the OSU/Nebraska game. By the time we got home it was already past six, and we spent the rest of the evening just like this.

Luckily this morning we didn’t oversleep and managed to make it to church on time. The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up on work and stuff around the house, although unfortunately I still have not unpacked. That will be a task for after I write this post….or possibly tomorrow. But don’t tell the husband;)

All afternoon I was craving something fallish -and what better way to satisfy that kind of craving than with a pumpkin spice latte and my latest and greatest Trader Joe’s find?!

I was so excited to break out this pumpkin butter for the first time that I could already taste it! I toasted up a slice of ezekiel bread and giddily spread a thin layer of pumpkin goodness and then…

eh.

It was pretty good. I think it was just a little too sweet or something. Emily had warned me that it was pretty sweet, but wow. I mean, you can’t really mess up good pumpkin flavor, so I still liked it. I just didn’t like it as much as I though I would. I think I’d like to make my own now, so I can control how much sugar goes in. The good news is that a little bit goes a long way! I think it would probably be really good to add a tiny bit to yogurt or oatmeal.

We shall see!!

To carry on the fall theme into dinner, I decided to put together a vegetarian chili.

This chili did not disappoint!

Tempeh Veggie Chili
makes about 6 servings

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 block tempeh, crumbled or diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1 ½ tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp organic cane sugar
1 ½ cup water
1 12 ounce can diced tomatoes, no added salt
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

pour oil into large stockpot over medium heat
add onion, bell pepper, carrot, frozen corn and tempeh and saute for about 3-4 minutes.
add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and water and mix well.
add seasonings and lime juice. Cover and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
serve with crackers or baked pita wedges.

This chili turned out delicious! One of my favorites methinks. You should make it. And then cozy up on the coach with your significant other (or your cat) and watch Amazing Race. Because it’s amazing.

Even the baby couldn’t get enough of the smell of fall in the kitchen.

Er…maybe that’s her “puh-leeeze, give me a carrot, mom. I promise I’ll be good and I won’t ever ask for anything ever again. Really, I won’t….”

Who can say no to that face?

But you don’t get somethin’ for nothin’ around here….no matter how cute you are:)

Old Town

And now…for the final recap of our stay in Washington D.C.

Thursday was the only day that the husband would be in meetings for his conference all day long, and I had planned to just play it by ear, waiting to see what we’d have time for on Wednesday before deciding what I would do while flying solo.

I had wanted to see the Holocaust Memorial at some point and sort of expected that I would end up doing that on Thursday; however, I also had heard great things about Old Town Alexandria, so that was also high up in the running. By the time Wednesday night rolled around I had come to a definite decision.

Old Town here I come!

I figured I’d explore the city for a little bit and then camp out at Starbucks for awhile and get some work done. So, I strapped on the husband’s backpack, loaded down with my macbook, grabbed my camera and set out.

I head out of the hotel, get in the cab and the following conversation takes place:

Annoyed cab driver: where you headed?

Me: Alexandria.

Annoyed cab driver: what part of Alexandria?

Me: uhhh, well….ummmm, what part is good?

Annoyed cab driver: several seconds of silence, and then “well, Old Town is pretty good.”

Me: yes, that’s it. Old Town. Take me there.

Annoyed cab driver: where at in Old Town?

Me: ummmmmmmmmm…Starbucks?

Annoyed cab driver: which Starbucks?

SERIOUSLY?? Had could I have been this unprepared? haha. I just knew I wanted to go to the quaint little town that I’d heard so much about and that was about it. Either way, he ended up taking me to the Starbucks that is farthest away from all the action. He dropped me off, and I decided to just take off walking and see what I could find.

Well, apparently it was my lucky day because within five minutes I stumbled onto this:

Trader Joe’s!! I have heard so much about Trader Joe’s for so long, but I’ve never had the chance to go to one. My eyes lit up so bright you’d have thought I had just found the almond butter machine at Whole Foods. I refrained from buying anything right away, but returned later on in the day for some sunflower seed butter, pumpkin butter and almond butter:) Is this normal?

Pressing on I continued wandering down the streets, completely giddy at the setting of this little town. I think I was made to live in this place. I literally got teary eyed a couple of times because I was just so happy. I know I’m risking losing readers who think I’m a crazy person over that statement, but I don’t care. It was the best day.

The only thing that could have made it any better was if the husband had been by my side. I missed him:(

I basically spent most of the day until lunch wandering around, up and down every street oohing and ahhing, and checking out every little store and boutique in my path. Finally, I wandered upon the waterfront and enjoyed the peacefulness of the water and flowers for a few minutes.

And then I was back at it.

I stumbled upon a cute little confectionary, where I bought a few dark chocolate covered cranberries, some chocolate covered coffee beans for the husband and one lone sea salted caramel, which was to. die. for. So delicious in fact, that I neglected to get a pic before popping it into my mouth and savoring it to the very end.

And then I found this.

Do you see what I see? That’s right, another cupcakery…hallelujah! I couldn’t help myself.

Pumpkin spice cupcake with fennel. I die.

For the record, I don’t make a habit of eating a cupcake every day, but Oklahoma also doesn’t have cupcakeries. What’s a girl to do?!

As much as I wanted to just eat it right up, I knew my stomach would thank me if I had something a little more substantial for lunch first. I decided on the first thing I saw that I don’t have at home.

Le Madeleine.

I ordered the salad sampler and chose a tomato basil pasta salad, tomato basil soup and fruit.

My favorite was the pasta salad, but it was all very very tasty. And by the time I followed it up with the cupcake (I couldn’t carry it around in my backpack all day!), I thought someone was going to have to roll me outta there.

After lunch I decided to give my aching feet a little rest, so I broke out the laptop and did a little bit of work.

But it didn’t last long. Who was I kidding?

A couple of hours later I found myself at the Gap Outlet when I got an email from Emily. Emily writes The Front Burner, and she is so cool. She actually lives in Old Town, and I had emailed her earlier in the day to see if she had any suggestions of must sees or do’s for me. When she got my email she was sitting at Starbucks just about ten blocks down the street! So, obviously I had to get down there and say hi.

We got to chat for a little bit, but then she was meeting a friend so we had to cut it short. She is every bit as pretty and sweet as she is on her blog. I thought she was in especially good spirits considering she just got hit by a car about a week ago!

Anyway, later that night Jon finally met up with me after his conference was over so we could hang out with an old coworker of his and his wife and baby. We all met up at a cute little restaurant called Las Tapas, which had excellent food and even greater entertainment thanks to the live music and dancing! So fun!

My food went unpictured due to the super intense mood lighting, but Jon and I shared a tapas order of spinach and feta cheese wrapped in phyllo dough and a skillet of Vegetarian Paella. This was our second time to have Paella, the first time being in Barcelona this summer. And honestly, we liked the American version better, but shhhh, don’t tell anybody;)

After dinner we caught a cab back to our hotel, and Jon went to a late night networking reception party while I blogged from bed (the best way IMO:)

And that’s it! I can’t believe our time in DC is already over. Please don’t make me leeeaave!!!

I’ll see you guys tomorrow!

seeing the sights

Our first full day in Washington DC started with a brisk 2.5 mile run along the harbor.

National Harbor 1.jpg

National Harbor 2.jpg

We are staying at National Harbor, and it is so beautiful here! The downside is that it it’s a bit from away from….well, everything. In terms of walking at least. The upside is that there is a bus stop just a block from our hotel that takes us straight to the metro. So after a shower and a quick breakfast of a banana, rice cake and almond butter (from the stash:) we set out for a day of sightseeing.

We honestly did not have any idea where we were going, but that’s how we roll. Once on the metro, we started to realize that we were already getting hungry. Jon and I are notorious for setting out to explore new places and then not being able to find food anywhere. And you do not want to be our friend when we are hungry. So, we decided to book it to the only place we knew was sure to have food.

waiting for the metro...again

China Town!

Right when we came up from the metro, we spotted this place.

When we were in New York last year, we ate at a place just like this, and we both loved it! If you haven’t been to one, it’s basically like a Subway, but for salads. Plus they have far more toppings (everything from tofu to roasted beets) – and then my favorite part – after they get everything that you want added to your salad, they chop it all up before putting it in the bowl. It’s so good!

love the vintage style of these cups!

After eating, we decided to explore China Town a little bit, and the first place we stumbled upon was Urban Outfitters….keepin’ it real:) We shopped around a little bit – the husband ending up with a couple of shirts and me a scarf.

Finally, after all the procrastinating, we decided to grab some Starbucks and head to Arlington National Cemetery. We strolled the winding streets, taking pictures at every turn and just soaking in the peaceful serenity of this place. It was so calming to me.

the gravesite of JFK

Arlington was absolutely nothing like what I expected – it was so much bigger! It really is hard to fathom the number of graves there. I was so taken aback with it all.

at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

After a couple hour visit, we decided to head back to the National Mall. We had only spent a short while there the night before, and it had been dark, so we were anxious to see it all in the daylight and get some good pictures. After a quick snack, we made the loooong trek, finally coming upon the Lincoln Memorial. Beginning to fear the onset of sundown, we decided to admire Lincoln from afar, since it had been the best lit monument from the night before – instead pressing on toward the White House.

the back of the Lincoln Memorial

the memorial for Vietnam Vets

The night before we were able to get right up to the fence of the White House, almost to that fountain you can barely see; however, this day there was a giant chain length fence put up that spanned about the length of a football field. You couldn’t get any closer than the outside of the fence. There must have been something going on – not sure, but we were sad!

We walked by the Washington Monument next, en route to the capitol building…

And the Smithsonian…

By the time we left the Capitol building, we were pretty exhausted and hungry. Dinnertime!!

We used our UrbanSpoon app on the iPhone and found a mexican restaurant in the area – and made a beeline for it! Only to get there and realize it was closed:( Onward and upward folks, onward and upward. We UrbanSpooned it again and came up with yet another mexican place only about a mile away. Off we went!

Stopping for photo opps along the way or course:)

I didn’t get many pictures of dinner unfortunately because it was really dark and crowded in there.

We started off with an appetizer of guacamole that was some of the best darn guacamole I’ve ever had. And that’s sayin’ a lot!

For my meal I ordered vegetarian enchiladas with mushrooms, spinach and squash inside and a tomato based sauce poured over top. Jon and I shared a serving of rice and beans.

So good!

And then on our way home we passed this little cupcakery and just couldn’t resist. Can I just say how much I love the word “cupcakery?” I could just say it over and over. Cupcakery. Cupcakery, cupcakery, cupcakery. Cupcakery.

Mine was chocolate – and it was vegan too!!

Oh my gosh, that was the longest recap in the history of recaps! If you’re still with me, kudos to you. And thanks!

I just love writing recaps – it’s like you get to relive the entire day over again!

I’m off to bed now – we are leaving tomorrow at noon and I can hardly believe it. Especially after today (recap to come tomorrow) – I am NOT ready to go home! Today was one of the best days I think I’ve ever had. That may be a slight exaggeration…but only slight;)

I’m waaaay behind on all your amazing blogs because I just haven’t been sitting in front of the computer. While I can’t say I’d wish it any other way, I miss you all so very much and I can’t wait to catch up on everything from this week!!

Hope you’re having a great night – see ya tomorrow!

brrrrrr!

No one told me how cold it was going to be here in DC!

Something you may not know about me – I have a small obsession with watching the weather. Outside real time and through my Weather Channel iPhone app. I love looking at the hour by hour forecast. Oh, and the 7 day is almost more than my little heart can handle! I get so excited.

So, needless to say I was watching DC weather like a Natzi over the last week or so. According to my calculations, it was supposed to be in the low 70’s this week.

Well, apparently those calculations were wro-ong!

It is downright cold here…so cold that most of the locals are in coats, hats, boots…you name it. If it’s a cold weather accessory, it’s walkin’ the streets of the District (I can totally call it that now that I’ve actually been here, right?!).

Unfortunately, this unsuspecting tourist did not pack for frigid temps. Luckily I did bring a couple pairs of jeans and threw in my light trench coat, but I am kicking myself for not bringing my boots and some long sleeve shirts. Oh, and I almost bought some gloves at Urban Outfitters today. I’m kicking myself for leaving those behind too.

I digress.

Despite the cold, I am loving DC! Something else you may not know about me is that I am so in love with the east coast I could marry it. Seriously. Jon and I drove up the east coast on our honeymoon, and I’ve pined away for it ever since. I knew I would love it here (in DC) too…and I couldn’t have been more right.

Now, here’s my list so far of things that have surprised me about DC:

One. how cold it is.
Two. how friendly the people are. there are some seriously friendly people here – and so helpful!
Three. the number of runners out and about throughout the day.
Four. how much the area around Capitol Hill reminds us of Paris. Anybody else?

Okay, so now that my lovefest has commenced, let’s go forth with the story of our trip here yesterday.

Jon and I left our house around 7:45am (right on time, thankyouverymuch) and hit up Starbucks on our way out of town for some coffee and a bite to eat. I gotta say, Starbuck’s Oatmeal is the way to go if you’re out and about in the early morning hours.

Okay, I am aware that this picture does not look that appetizing. But I promise you, they don’t call it “perfect” for nothing. Have I ever lied to you before?

After an hour and a half of driving in torrential rains, getting lost and making a circle around the entire perimeter of the airport, we finally got parked. This is not the first time that using directions from our iPhone has failed us. It literally led us on a wild goose chase down all kinds of windy back roads and plopped us down right at the entrance people use to fly private jets. Riiiiiight.

So, after nearly having a nervous breakdown and then a panic attack, we made it into the airport looking like a couple of wet dogs as we raced to check in. At that point I split off from the husband because unfortunately we were booked on different flights (his was booked through his work).

Luckily we both made it to our gates in time. After the hour-ish flight, I landed at O’Hare in Chicago for an hour and a half layover. First things first. Find some healthy food, stat!

I have to say – in my humble opinion, airports have really improved in the way of healthy eats. At least larger airports. Unfortunately it does cost half your life savings to obtain said eats, but they’re there. Per the usual, I had planned ahead and packed rice cakes, larabars, dried apricots, apples and bananas in my bag for this trip. But I always end up eating my packed stuff for breakfast and snacks when I go on vacation…and by day 2 or 3 I’m usually getting serious fresh veggie withdrawals. So, I had decided that if there were any good veggies to be had at the airport, I was going to splurge on invest in them. Enter – the best airport lunch ever:

Mixed greens salad with grilled veggies and pita wedges on top. With a balsamic vinegar dressing.

and a green juice

I used to think these Naked juices had added sugar – not sure why I thought that. This was 100% juice – including several fruits and broccoli, spirulina etc. It was delicious! And I felt on top of the world when I finished this lunch. Full of veggies:)

After I landed in DC a few hours later, I snacked on some spelt pretzels while I waited for Jon and his coworkers to land. Then it was off to the hotel to drop our bags and on to dinner!

Jon and I were desperate to get into the heart of the action and see the sights, but being in a new city we weren’t quite sure where to get some food first. So, we walked around the area where we’re staying for a little while and spotted this cute little Thai restaurant. It had us at Sawat-dee (hello in Thai).

If the traditional Thai greeting when we walked in the door didn’t charm us, then the egg rolls, cashew tofu, and sweet little Thai waitresses picked up the slack. We were enamored.

Highlight of the night: Jon and I ordered the same dish, but I substituted tofu for chicken. In the end we realized that Jon had been served tofu as well, and he didn’t even realize it until 75% of his food was gone! We couldn’t tell my looking at it because it was fried, and apparently he couldn’t taste the difference. ha!

After dinner, we took the bus and metro down to Capitol Hill. We strolled around, taking in the beauty of everything all lit up and taking pictures like we actually thought they would be good without at tripod.

freezing my tail off while waiting for the train

a fuzzy Washington Monument

hello there Abe

hello there Mister Obama

We were exhausted by the time we were ready to head back to the hotel, so we decided to hitch a ride in a cab. We had a crazy funny cab driver from India with an awesome accent who we found to be rather entertaining. That is until he drove off without giving us correct change, leaving us $10 short! What was that I was saying about friendly people…

I kid, I kid.

Anyway, that’s the long and short of day 1 in DC! Day 2 was a bit more eventful and definitely better for photo opps. I’ll be back tomorrow with the details:)

Jon will be in meetings all day tomorrow, so I’m thinking I’ll head over to Alexandria (Old Town) to explore a little bit. I was quite taken with it’s quaintness when we passed through on our way from the airport. Actually, it might be better if I didn’t go there – I don’t think I’m ever gonna want to leave!

See ya tomorrow!

hello!

Hello from Washington DC!

Yesterday was a full day of traveling, but somehow I was able to eat really great food. Love it when that happens:) We finally got here last night at about 5 and ventured into DC for a little bit of nighttime sightseeing.

I can’t wait to recap it all, but I gotta jet right now because the husband and I are going to miss the bus! eek!

Be back later!!

P.S. Thanks for all the great recommendations for sights to see and things to do in DC! Hope you’re all having a great week:)

weekend recap and another trip!

Hello! Happy Monday:)

This morning has been crazy – I got up early to clean our house and then had to stop mid-clean to run and get my hair cut. I’m still technically not done cleaning, but I’m getting there. After not posting for the last couple of days, I’ve been itching to check in. Cleaning can wait!

But it can’t wait too long, unfortunately, because tomorrow morning we are leaving for another cross-country trip, except this time by plane!

We’re headed to Washington D.C.! Jon has a work conference there this week, and he’s going to let me tag along. I’ve never been to our nation’s capitol before, so I’m really excited!

We’re leaving early tomorrow morning and coming back on Friday night. It just so happens that this weekend is homecoming here in Stillwater, and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming to stay with us Friday night. So, I’m trying to get our house ready for guests and everything plus getting us packed and ready to leave tomorrow – it’s going to be a busy day since I’ll be tutoring all afternoon. My excitement is serving as great adrenaline so far, though. Let’s hope it lasts well into the night:)

This past weekend, we were in my hometown celebrating my mom’s birthday. I made her a cake, and we took her out to eat and whatnot. I also led my mom through her first yoga class, which was really fun. We’ll call it birthday yoga:)

Then we went to church on Sunday and met my grandparents afterward for lunch. It was definitely a weekend well spent – I loved getting to just relax with family. One of my favorite things:)

I’m so thankful to have my grandparents in my life:)

Saturday morning I rose early to get a head start on baking my mom’s cake! Last week Jenna posted a recipe for a Bohemian Wedding Cake (full recipe here), and the minute I saw it I knew it was THE cake for my mom’s birthday. I mean, it had pumpkin in it – how could it be wrong?

Before I got started baking, though, I needed some fuel.

This isn’t just any green smoothie. I knew I’d need to be able to ward off my pumpkin cravings (and stay out of the cake batter), so I decided to have a green smoothie, fall style:) I added 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1 tbsp molasses, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1.2 cup almond milk and ice.

Yes, I know it sounds gross, and I must admit I was a bit nervous with that first sip. But just like adding spinach to a banana smoothie, adding spinach to a pumpkin smoothie doesn’t alter the flavor at all! It was absolutely delicious, and I still got my greens in. Score!

I digress.

Back to the cake.

I started by mixing together all the dry ingredients – brown sugar, baking soda, whole wheat flour, white flour, pumpkin pie spice

Then mixed the wet ingredients – pumpkin, oil, vanilla, molasses, 2 eggs. I almost made this vegan by simply switching to flax eggs, but no one in my family is vegan and I didn’t really have time for experimentation. So, I stuck with 2 organic, free-range eggs. I also added a quick store-bought cream cheese icing at the end.

Next, mixed them all together…

And poured ‘em in.

Into the oven it went while I raced around doing Jillian’s 30-day shred DVD and packing!

After it finished baking and I allowed it to cool completely, I added the frosting.

Perfect.

Everybody at the party seemed to enjoy it. Everybody except my sister that is, who insists that she just isn’t much of a sweets person.

I always doubt my baking, but when my mom had another piece on Sunday afternoon, I knew they weren’t just trying to make me feel good when they said they liked it:)

And for the record, I thought it was delicious!

All in all the weekend was a success!

Now it’s just time to play catch up…and get ready for our trip!

Any suggestions on places to visit or sights to see while we’re in DC?? I’ll be flying solo one day while Jon is in meetings – so any recommendations would be great!

feelin’ like rip

Thanks so much for all the support about our decision to not run the half marathon. It sounds like we’re all striving to avoid comparing ourselves to others and doing what’s best for ourselves. Amen to that!

Today has been one loooooong day I tell ya.

I feel like Rip. Van Winkle that is. (Ely – that’s for you:) Yes, we’re on a first name basis.

Last night the husband and I stayed up well into the wee hours of the morning working and boy did I regret it this morning. I am not a happy camper when I don’t get sleep. I would absolutely love to get 8 hours a night, but inevitable I always (including tonight!) end up staying up working on stuff and only getting 6 or so hours. Not cool. Probably might even help with my breakouts if I hit the sack at a decent time each night.

I don’t know whether it’s harder to have to go to the office when you’re exhausted and sleep deprived or work from home. Working from home is tough because you have to motivate yourself and there’s no one around to through you an elbow when your head starts to droop at the computer. However, at the office you have to exert extra energy being social and meetings others’ expectations. Hmmmm…

Anyway! When I got up this morning I felt so out of it…I almost felt kind of nauseous. I actually did try to lay back down for a little bit after the husband left, but to no avail. The day was just passing me by and I couldn’t handle just lying in bed.

Unfortunately my lack of sleep left me with little appetite, and I literally couldn’t stomach breakfast. Finally about 11:30 the urge for a baked potato hit me like a ton of bricks. Have no idea where that came from, but bring on the starch!

toppings included: salsa, a sprinkle of Daiya vegan cheese, sea salt, pepper and a smear of Earth Balance

With a side of my current favorite green.

I spent the day running errands, working on Outbox and trying convincing myself to not go curl up in bed. yay.

I did manage to do a little baking as well. Last Sunday a friend of mine from Sunday School told me about this cookie recipe, and then I saw it on Tina’s blog yesterday. Seeing as how I was looking for a dessert to take to a friend’s house for dinner tonight, I figured it was just meant to be. Besides, it’s the easiest recipe ever known to man. Perfect for a day like today.

Ingredients
1 can pumpkin puree
1 spice cake mix
1/2 bag of dark chocolate chips

Directions

Dump everything together and mix mix mix!
Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10-20 minutes. The original recipe said 10 minutes, but I ended up having to bake mine for much longer to get them done in the center.

Next time I would probably make smaller cookies. Also, you should know that these cookie are very unique. They are kind of more like a cookie/muffin/bread. I honestly think they taste a lot like pumpkin bread.

Either way these guys loved them!

Okay, so maybe this little guy didn’t really have one, but he sure looks like he had a few doesn’t he?! Cutest little cheeks ever!!

The year before I taught I was Henry’s nanny from the time he was 3 months old to the time he was 14 months. Now he’s such a little boy and I can’t even believe he’s gotten so big! Here’s a picture from our time as full-time buddies.

I promise he really did like me!

Anyway, now he’s a big brother and little Sam looks just like him. So cute.

The pumpkin cookies were definitely a hit though – you guys should try them! They’re not the healthiest cookies out there, and there aren’t vegan – but they’re easy and delicious so score some points for that.

Well, peeps, I’m gonna get off here and stumble into bed so I’ll actually be able to do some planks and down dogs at PiYo in the morning. It’s no good if the instructor can’t even function!

How many hours of sleep do you feel like you need each night? How many hours do you actually get? Also, do you and your significant other (if you have one!) go to bed at the same time or are you on different schedules? Jon and I have always been sticklers about going to bed together. These last few weeks it has gotten really tough though because he stays up to work so late. Sometimes he’ll just come lay down with me for awhile and then he’ll go back to work some more. That way it still kind of feels like we’re going to bed together. However, I never can truly fall asleep until he comes for real.

what’s in a name?

Hi!

Thanks for the support and encouraging comments on yesterday’s post. Honestly, after I hit publish last night I laid awake in bed for awhile feeling very unsure about my post. I really do try to always keep it real here, but being open is sometimes freaking hard!

I just don’t want to seem like a complainer, but guys…sometimes life is hard. On those days it’s kind of a challenge to find a balance between staying positive and uplifting while still being real.

And to be perfectly honest, there is nothing that drives me more crazy here in blogland than when people come across as perfect on their blogs. While I didn’t actually address this issue yesterday, it did come up in the comments. It seems that most of you feel the same way. Let’s just lay it all out there – there have been times when I’ve considered no longer reading some blogs because they just seem too perfect. And whether they are perfect or whether they’re not – it really doesn’t matter – it is a negative force in my life to read about it everyday. It’s extremely difficult to avoid the comparison trap when all you read each day is the perfection in people’s lives. I have to constantly keep myself in check with this issue – finding myself trying to measure up to someone else’s style, recipes, photos or exercise routine.

And speaking of exercise routines, this would probably be an excellent time to make known that the husband and I will no longer be running our November half marathon. You know, the one that was originally supposed to be a full marathon? After a lot of contemplating and discussion, we’ve decided to step back from racing for now.

With trying to get our own business off the ground + Jon working full-time and me almost full-time, there really isn’t enough time for training. We tried to make it work, but sleep was the main thing being sacrificed. We try every night to get in bed before 11pm, but when there are deadlines to meet sometimes it’s just not an option. And seeing as how getting adequate sleep is one of the most important parts of long distance running, it isn’t healthy or smart for us to keep pushing it.

Being the perfectionist that I am, this decision was really difficult for me at first. And to bring this full-circle, I realized that a lot of it was due to comparing myself to other bloggers. When you see countless bloggers running so many miles a week, it can make you feel like a failure if you’re not doing it too. In my quest to defeat perfectionism though, I was able to step back and realize that my life is not the same as anybody else’s…and therefore I have to make the best decision for my body and for Jon.

Besides, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but the husband designed the branding for the entire race – from the participant’s guide down to the finish banner. So, we’ll be running all over the place on race day, getting photos for our website (and cheering on all the runners!). I’m super stoked about it – I love races! Although I know I’ll be wishing we were running, I’m glad we’ll be going to support everyone and our business!

So that’s that.

Now that we’re through all the heavy stuff – let’s move on to the food!

Breakfast this morning was a green monster, per the usual. Oh, green monster, how did I ever live without you??

I spent the morning working on my yoga class for tonight and trying to get iPhoto and Flickr to be friends. The story of my life. They are currently on speaking terms, though we still have a loooong way to go.

About 10:30 I got so hungry, so I heated up one of my favorite whole wheat pitas and had a big blob of creamy hummus for dipping!

So, if you follow me on twitter, you may know that I had a major life experience this morning.

I lived through my first earthquake!

You have to understand, Oklahoma does not get earthquakes. Like, ever. I never would have dreamed that I’d ever feel one.

So, picture this. I was sitting on my couch with Olive looking up idioms for tutoring students and dealing with flickr when all of a sudden I heard a sound like the entire house rattled. I actually didn’t feel anything, but it was such a strange noise – I literally thought to myself “that sounded like how I’ve heard earthquakes described.”

I glanced at Olive to see if she heard it, and she was sitting up with her little ears perked looking around. However, here is a prime example of a downside of working from home. There are no other adults around to confirm that you’re not crazy when crazy stuff happens!

So what did I do? The only logical thing – I went on about my business and forgot about it.

About 30 minutes later, I went to check my phone and realized I had about 5 missed calls and 2 texts from the husband, and a text from my mom, wondering if I’d felt the earthquake and making sure I was okay. ha! I couldn’t believe it.

Anyway, apparently it was a 4.3 on the scale and was felt all the way from north Texas to Arkansas and everywhere in between.

With all that excitement I completely forgot about lunch, and suddenly I looked up and I had 15 minutes till I needed to leave for tutoring! Considering everything I still needed to do before leaving, I knew a lunch on the go was in order! So, I whipped up a brown rice cake sandwich with natural peanut butter and half a banana. It was delish. But somewhat messy. Have you ever tried to bite into a rice cake sandwich? Unfortunately I failed at getting a picture in all the madness. I lived through an earthquake – can you blame me?!?

By the time I got though with all my tutoring appointments and taught my yoga class I was starving for dinner. Enter leftovers of my favorite meal.

cooked spinach, vegetarian refried beans, rotel tomatoes and vegan (Daiya) cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla a doused in spicy enchilada sauce. With a side of baked corn chips (corn tortillas) and homemade guacamole.

Dessert was simple.

two little oranges (only a portion is in the picture)

All in all I’d say it was a banner day – a nice way to balance out yesterday methinks:)

Oh, one last side note. I’ve told you guys how much I love meeting with international students, right? Well, I love it more and more everyday. Hanging out with them is so refreshing + I think I learn more than they do! Awhile back I mentioned one of my students, Nada, who is super sweet but also beyond talkative and a bit high maintenance. Well, she really threw me for a loop on Monday. We were chatting along just like normal when all of a sudden she said “blah, blah, blah…when the little one comes.”

Say what?!

“Little one?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah…I’m expecting. Did I not tell you that? I’m due in January.”

“Um negative on that. I would remember if you had told me that. I’ve been meeting with you for weeks – how can I not know you are pregnant?? So, is it a boy or a girl?” I asked.

“It’s a girl.”

“Aww, how sweet (beginning to get over my initial shock at this point). So what are ya going to name her?”

“Well, I have a couple of names in mind, but one I’m really leaning toward….Lupus.”

“Ahem. Excuse me?”

“Lupus. That’s what I’m going to name her.”

So, I then had to gently explain to my sweet little Egyptian student that Lupus might not be the best choice. I mean, sure it’s cute and all…but oh the pain it will cause for that poor child!

I felt bad to shoot her down, but I also felt it my duty to shelter the baby from a lifetime of humiliation.

Oh the joy of international students:) And I can say that because I was one.

Now that I’ve sufficiently talked your ears off! I’ll be signing off. I’ll see you all tomorrow!

G’night!

P.S. I can only imagine the google searches that will come forth due to this post!

getting real

Tonight the husband and I got a serious hankering for some diet coke. So, we decided to take an evening walk down to the grocery store before dinner.

It is quite ironic that we have three (yes, three) cars, yet we walked to the grocery store. But I love our walks. With the husband working evenings on our business, we don’t have as much time for them as we used to. I miss them.

Once we got there, I sat outside with Olive, while he ran inside for the goods.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about contentment. I am the world’s worst about getting in too big of a hurry all the time. While I love the idea of slowing down and enjoying life as it is now, I don’t practice it very often. I’m always wishing for the next thing. Always thinking that things could be just a little bit better if only…

Lately I’ve really been struggling with this, and the last couple of days I’ve actually been able to recognize how detrimental this is to my life. I count myself very blessed to be in the stage of life I’m in. I’m so thankful that Jon supported me in leaving my job so that I could pursue what I’m passionate about. And I’m tired of surrendering to discontentment and allowing fear to defeat me. I’m slowly starting to realize something about myself – I’m afraid of being successful. I think that part of my discontentment at this phase of life is due to not allowing myself to succeed.

I allow three things to defeat me on a daily basis: procrastination, being paralyzed by fear and making excuses. I’m still diligently trying to figure out why I allow these things to interfere with my goals and dreams, but I’m working on taking steps toward overcoming them.

The other night Jon and I laid awake for hours, him letting me hash out every angle of this struggle. I’m so thankful that he pushes me to challenge myself, to take myself to the next level, and most of all to believe in myself. I don’t know why he believes in me as deeply as he does, but sometimes that’s what keeps me going. Before we went to bed that night, he walked me into our office and made me put down my new commitment on our chalkboard closet door. Everyday when I see it, it reminds me that I really am stronger than I think I am.

side note – the coloration on this pic is way off. Our walls are not bright yellow:)

It’s so normal in the blog world to always focus on the positive, and I really don’t want to be a downer, but surely I’m not the only one who struggles with this? Am I alone in being my own biggest obstacle to achieving everything I want for my life? Sometimes I just ask myself “why are you procrastinating on the things you care about most?” “Why are you not focusing your intentions on the things that are most important?” “And why do you spend more time wishing for things in the future, rather than living in the present?”

So that’s me lately.

And so as not to leave on a dreary note, here’s some amazing fall food that has been warming me through and through:)

Making homemade pizza crust

The best thing about this crust was the process of making it. There’s something therapeutic about making homemade bread.

Unfortunately it was a total fail. I used too little yeast and didn’t let it sit long enough + I used all spelt flour when I probably should have incorporated in some white flour.

Even with leftover veggie spaghetti sauce from the other night and shredded vegan cheese, it still tasted terrible.

The side of broccoli saved the day! Sprinkle on a little sea salt, and you’ve got yourself heaven on a plate.

I also used that same leftover homemade spaghetti sauce in a mix with kidney beans and sauteed swiss chard. All piled on a tiny bed of pasta. The sauce was definitely the star of this show.

Oh wait.

I take that back. The kabocha squash ruled again! I seriously cannot get enough. I actually bought a whole ‘nother one this afternoon. I’m thinking maybe soup this time…

Yes, I think soup could be just the thing.

bring home elsabeth

Good morning!

Are you happy to be starting a new week? I am. As much as I used to dread Monday morning, I am so thankful these days that the end of the weekend doesn’t hold an impending sense of doom. Of course I was by no means springing out of bed with a smile on my face at 6:30 this morning, but I’m not sure that’s even possible anyway!

We had a slow and easy weekend…just how I like ‘em:) As I’m sure you can all identify…they are few and far between. So, we soaked up every moment.

Saturday morning Farmer’s Market trip was picturesque – with the beauty of fall only intensifying every day. I ate an apple on the way and was positively starving by the time we left!

We picked these up for the baby – and she was a happy girl:) And don’t worry, they’re vegetarian. Peanut Butter to be exact.

After leaving the market (one bushel of swiss chard in tow) we stopped by Starbuck’s for a soy half caf latte for two. Aren’t coffees the best when they’re shared? Having my own straw just isn’t the same.

The rest of Saturday included a long walk down to Main Street. There was a vintage car show going on downtown, and we were hoping to scope it out, but as we progressed toward Main, we began to notice a disappointingly steady stream of vintage cars cruising past us. By the time we got there, there were only a few stragglers remaining:( So, we just turned around and headed back home. Stopping for mini photo shoots along the way.

Doesn’t matter what kind of face or noises you make, this girl refuses to look at the camera.

Honestly, I was a bit lazy all weekend as far as food was concerned. I made a huge batch of crock-pot taco soup on Friday, and we ate it probably 4-3 times between then and Sunday. At least it was delicious! Leftovers are the way to go in my book:)

Crock-pot Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (really you can use whatever kinds of beans you want!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans – you got it, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can sweet corn, no salt added, drained
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 small can tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
about 1 cup water

Directions
1. Dump everything into the crock pot and turn crock pot on low. Allow to simmer all day.
2. Come home from work, give it a quick stir, and eat up! But careful – it’s hot!

It’s really very complicated.

*You may want to add more or less water, depending on how thick you want it. The husband and I like it nice and hearty!
**I know this recipe has a lot of “cans” in it – and I know you’re technically supposed to limit canned goods, but sometimes convenience just wins out. Sorry. Actually, no I’m not.

Served with a side of homemade corn chips, sprinkled with sea salt and baked at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch them closely because they go from not quite done to charred in about 1 minute flat. Not that I would know.

I also had a side of leftover roasted kabocha squash.

You may have noticed this really hideous looking squash in my fall post a few days ago. I basically sliced it up and roasted it at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. And let me tell you, I have eaten it for about 6 meals since then. I have tried butternut squash once and honestly really didn’t care of it. This guy is a whole different ballgame folks. If you haven’t tried kabocha squash – stop reading right now and go get one. You won’t regret it. It was a bit expensive (around $5 I think), but it’s lasted so long, and was totally and completely worth every dime. Every time I get ready to eat it leftover, I just toss a few wedges on a cookie sheet and re-roast them. Tastes like the first time every time!

Anyway, before I go I wanted to let you guys know about something called “Share the Love Week” going on over at a really lovely blog, 3 Boys and a Little Lady. I just stumbled upon this blog about a month ago, and I haven’t been able to stop reading since. Right now their family is trying to bring home the little girl they’re adopting from Ethiopia, Elsabeth. I don’t think I’ve really mentioned this before on the blog, but Jon and I have a huge heart for adoption. We hope and pray that we can adopt a child one day, but since we aren’t quite on that road yet, I’m excited about the opportunity to help out a family that is. Emily is having an auction of sorts with different Etsy shops, and all the proceeds go toward their adoption fund. It starts tomorrow morning, so please check it out if you get a chance!

Love you guys!

Burt’s Bees Review

Happy weekend friends!

I am so glad this week is over. For some reason it seemed ultra long – maybe because of our crazy weekend and not getting much rest. It’s never good to start the week already worn out. At least we were worn out from too much fun, though! Well, that and driving a million miles anyway. Oh, and pulling together hosting a dinner party in a span of about 5 hours.

Speaking of that dinner party…if you haven’t heard, the results are out for Project Food Blog round 3. Bad news, bears….at least for me. There will be no round 4 showing up on ChiaSeedMe. Of course I’m a bit disappointed, but it’s okay. Not everyone can win, right? And I’m super excited to follow along and see some amazing entries for the rest of the challenges. One last time, I have to say thank you so much for your sweet support and votes…I never would have made it as far as I did without all of you:) Love you guys!

Now, onto the review I promised you all.

As you know, about 2 months ago I started having some issues with my skin. It was not pretty.

I haven’t really had a problem with my skin since high school, and I can assure you I did not appreciate having to re-live it. I basically broke out in several areas on my face and also on my neck. I really didn’t freak out at first…I can handle having a bit of a breakout. But then it continually worsened…and worsened…and worsened. Finally it got to the point where it was very uncomfortable – painful and itchy – plus I felt very self conscious about it, not wanting to go anywhere without make-up on.

At the time I was using the Mary Kay skincare system. And no, it’s not just for older women. I know that’s what you all are thinking:)

I’d been using MK for about 5 years, and really liked it for the most part. But over the last several months, I had been feeling more and more bothered by using chemicals on my face. As I talked about in a previous post, I am so careful about what I put into my body, – why shouldn’t my face get the same consideration? So, knowing that I would probably break out if I switched up my cleanser, I decided that if I was already broken out it was as good a time as any to go ahead and make the switch. Sounds logical, right?

I decided to try Burt’s Bees Acne Solutions because it is almost 100% natural, and I have used other Burt’s Bees products in the past that I really loved. At this time I was really starting to struggle with feeling distraught over my face. It had become worse than ever…and was making me so uncomfortable, so I started researching online about natural remedies for acne. Basically I discovered that the following are things you can do to improve skin through natural means: drink tons of water, eat more raw fruits and vegetables, cut out dairy, sugar and caffeine and drink fresh juice.

I immediately made the decision to go full force with all of these things. For the next week I ate only raw (with the occasional piece of ezekiel bread) until dinnertime, drank lots of water and cut out all the potential culprits. You may not believe me, but I’m here to tell you it worked. Within about 3 days, my face was noticeably more clear. I had no way of knowing if it was solely due to those changes or if it was a result of the Burt’s Bees. Or both.

Either way, I got comfortable…and lazy. I’m not going to sugar coat it. The weekend came, my in-laws were in town, and everything went out the window. Basically, I reverted back to the way I had been eating, which is mostly healthy anyway (as you guys know), but definitely not raw until dinner. I had caffeine several times and didn’t pay much attention to my water intake.

FAIL.

Within about 2 days, my face was right back to the way it had been. I was so frustrated. I felt like I had let myself down big-time. I also felt pretty sure of the fact that the improvement in my skin had been mostly due to dietary changes and not the change to Burt’s Bees.

So, you’re probably thinking I went right back to my “clear skin regimen” right? Wrong.

I had to answer some serious questions for myself. Was I willing to carry on that kind of eating lifestyle long term? Was that realistic for me? Sure it was healthy. Sure it made me feel really good. Sure it probably would have even helped me let go of “the last 10 pounds.” But after some serious soul searching I decided that it wasn’t worth it. I love food too much. I love cooking meals and eating oatmeal and squash and nut butter…and I like having the freedom to enjoy these things any time during the day. Call me crazy. While I knew I could surely live that way for awhile, it just wasn’t a good long term solution for me.

So, I decided to give Burt’s Bees until the end of my current supply to see if it would start working to clear things up. I also decided, upon the suggestions of a couple of readers, that I would try replacing the BB moisturizer with coconut oil, to see if maybe I was overmedicating my face (there is salicylic acid in the BB cleanser and moisturizer). So, I did that for about 2 weeks.

Finally, the day before yesterday, I used the last bit of cleanser. Unfortunately, my face is in just as bad of shape as it was before. I really wanted to have a different outcome for this review, but it just didn’t happen. I wanted to be able to say that I used only natural means to have healthy, clear skin. And more than anything I wanted to not feel the need to put chemical laden skincare on my face. I can’t tell you how bad I want that – just ask the husband:) Poor guy.

But I honestly hit a breaking point this week. I stood in the aisle at Walgreen’s for about 20 minutes, trying to decide whether to try a different all natural system, or whether to go with something that isn’t all natural. I made the executive decision to sacrifice my desire for all natural, choosing to go with something that would really clear up my skin, a system called AcneFree. I left feeling kind of defeated honestly. But now, just 2 days later, my face has improved by about 75%, no exaggeration. It’s almost like night and day.

And then this morning came.

I noticed right after I washed my face that it was starting to sting a little bit. I decided to forgo my usual foundation in an effort to let me skin breathe. When I showed up to tutor Hey-Kyoung, she looked at me inquiringly and asked me why my face was all red. Gotta love her honesty:) I instantly yanked my mirror out of my purse, and upon gazing into it realized that my face was indeed red…and kind of splotchy. Great.

So, now the dilemma lives on. What to do? I’m considering alternating using the AcneFree system and a natural cleanser/coconut oil. Not totally sure that’s a good idea though. I should have seen this coming – going from using all natural, gentle products to a super intense product full of chemicals…it’s not wonder my poor face is reacting this way.

All that being said, I still do believe that Burt’s Bees is a good product. If you are looking for an all natural skin care system, and you aren’t having serious issues with your skin already, then I would highly suggest trying it. They have multiple different products – masks, scrubs, toners etc. My face always felt very clean and healthy (aside from the breakout) after using it. And I felt so good about using an all natural product.

The one negative is that it seemed to not last very long. For the combined cost of $28 (cleanser+moisturizer), I really would expect it to last for more than one month.

So, that is the very loooong review of the product. Sorry this post is quite the novel…but it’s been quite the process this last month! As always, I’m open to any tips or suggestions you guys have…but mostly I just wanted to give a review of the product. And if there is any question, I was not asked to do this review and have no connection to the company.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Get some well-deserved rest and enjoy the beautiful fall weather if you’ve got it!

dinner party to remember

Happy Thursday!

Today I’m bringing to you the recipes that made up my dinner party for Project Food Blog entry #3. Also, today is the last day to put in votes for all your favorite entries. And as always, I would be so thankful if you’d check out my entry and vote if you find it worthy! Thanks so much for your support thus far!

When I started planning the menu for my party, I knew I was going to be under a serious time crunch, so I needed something simple, yet I still wanted to wow my guests with something new and unique. The other twist was that my guests were not familiar with vegan dishes at all…so I really wanted to create something that would show them how enticing meatless dishes really can be!

I started off with the vegan chimichanga recipe – I had made it before, so I knew exactly what tweaks I needed to make. They were so much better this time around!

Vegan Chimichangas
original recipe from Eat Drink and Be Vegan

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp chipotle hot sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups zucchini, julienned
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I may try black beans next time!)
1/2 cup tempeh, chopped (or an additional 1/2 cup beans)
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 whole wheat tortillas
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
fresh lime wedges, for garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions

In a large frying pan on medium heat, combine oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, chipotle sauce, cumin and salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add zucchini and tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes until veggies are soft.
Add beans and tempeh and saute for another 3-5 minutes.
Stir in vinegar.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Spoon 1/4 of filling down center of each tortilla, leaving 1-2 inches spae on top and bottom.
Fold bottom edge over filling and roll up, tucking in sides as you go. Place a toothpick to hold tortilla closed.
In a separate frying pan, heat oil, then place burritos seam-side down on pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly brown, then transfer to sprayed baking sheet.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with cilantro and lime.

I also made up a quick sauce to drizzle over these. For the sauce, add about 1/4 cup of vegan sour cream together with 1/2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce. Mix well and then scoop sauce into a plastic baggie. Cut off the end of the baggie and drizzle away!

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Next up was the mini tacos – these were so easy!

Vegan Mini “Party” Tacos

Ingredients

1 can of beans – whatever kind you fancy! I used lentils, and they worked great.
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper (I like it hot!)
shredded cabbage
grilled veggies – green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion
vegan sour cream
corn tortillas

Directions

Place frying pan over medium heat. Combine beans, cumin and ground red pepper and heat through.
In a separate pan saute veggies in a little bit of oil (oops! forgot to add to the ingredient list).
While keeping an eye on the veggies, cut tortillas into small circles using a round object (husband used a cup).

Assemble! First, seasoned beans. Then, grilled veggies. Next, shredded cabbage. Last, top it off with sour cream!

Note: you could also use the leftovers “rims” of the tortillas by sprinkling sea salt on them and baking. Then use them as toppers for your salad! I actually almost did this…but I accidentally charred them. FAIL!

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Now let’s backtrack just a little bit and talk about appetizers.

Of course there is no way I could possibly have an epic tex-mex party without the star of tex-mex, could I? But I also didn’t think my basic guacamole really fit the bill. I mean, we’re talking epic here! So, three kinds of guac it was. And these are all so easy it’s embarrassing.

Classic Guacamole

Ingredients
1 avocado
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup onion, chopped

Directions

Okay, I have to be honest. All the measurements above are guesstimations. I basically just eye all the ingredients and have the husband taste test and make recommendations until it is unfathomably awesome. Works for us. But I understand some people really might appreciate a recipe, so I tried to estimate exactly how much I use of each ingredient. I would highly recommend doing a bit of experimentation, though, because we don’t all love guac so hot our eyes water! The cool thing is that you can add a little bit more of each ingredient until the flavor evens out. It’s really hard to ruin guacamole in my opinion. Unless you forget the garlic like I did for my party. oops!

Barbecue Guacamole – just make the exact same recipe as above, then mix in about 1/2-1 tbsp of your fave barbecue sauce. Lastly, drizzle a little extra over top!

Chipotle Guacamole
originally from here

Ingredients

1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup corn
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp vegan sour cream
1 avocado

Directions

Mash avocado in a small bowl
add black beans, corn, cilantro and sour cream and mix well

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The other appetizer was a beautiful salad!

I mixed fresh greens (any kind will work), with jicama, cut into matchsticks and sliced red cabbage. After mixing it all together, I poured a Chipotle dressing over top and mixed it all together.

The dressing really made this salad. The flavors went together like peanut butter and banana.

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And lastly, was the decadent dessert! I honestly had huge reservations about making this, I’m not going to lie. I’ve never fried anything in my life…and it was a bit scary. But somehow I just didn’t think baked plantains would have the same effect as fried plantains. And in the end, authenticity won out!

I honestly didn’t think I would like this dessert much, but it was so good it hurt. I bought some soy french vanilla ice cream to pair with the plantains and it was like a match made in heaven. Love love love.

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And that’s it folks! I was so happy with how this dinner turned out…and so proud of myself for pulling it together. Whether I advance or not I’m so happy I took the opportunity to complete this challenge. I feel like I’ve grown so much, just from the three entries I’ve created so far. I’d love it if you’d help me get to round 4!

a four letter word i love

i have an obsession.

it makes me squeal at the most unexpected of moments.

it’s one four-letter word that doesn’t make me cringe.

my face finds its glow.

and my world goes ’round.

savory and sweet, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the husband

and i dream of bottling it up to free at my every whim

oh fall, how i love you.

to crunch through your messy leaves and stand still in your cool breeze is one of the sweetest parts of life.

what are you loving most about this lovely season?

adventures in iowa part 3

Hi!

Each time I do a series of post to recap a vacation or event, I get so antsy at the end. I just want to write about today…not 3 days ago! But alas, I love having this blog as a way to look back on my life, a scrapbook of sorts, so I shall carry on with the last day of our time in Iowa. This also happened with our trip to Europe this summer, except I actually never did recap the last two days. I very well might still recap them at some point, but we’ll see.

Anyway, tomorrow I’ll be showing you some festive fall things I did today! Think food (or course:) and home decor!

Our exciting tourist stop on our way out of Iowa was this…

the house used in the painting “American Gothic.” It was totally an unplanned stop – we just saw the sign and off we went! I love seeing stuff like this, though. I mean, I might never be driving by Eldon, Iowa again…I’ve gotta take advantage of opportunities like this!

I did think the house was pretty darn cute, though. I’d live there:)

Told you I’m obsessed.

And my favorite picture of the day – Jon and I depicting “American Gothic.” If we were truly trying to replicate it, we’d need to crop the picture, obviously…but Jon played around with the effects instead:) Do I look angry or what?!

The rest of the day was an ultra boring and long drive home, during which I brainstormed my Project Food Blog entry. My eats were equally as boring, consisting of a veggie Subway sandwich, spelt pretzels and almond butter, a few pieces of chocolate and a couple handfuls of the husband’s Chex Mix. It was so hard to be stuck in the car when I really needed to be working on my dinner party…but I tried to use my time the best way possible!

Speaking of PFB, please hop over and check out my entry and vote for me if you think me worthy of advancing! I’m going to put myself out there and say I feel more anxious about this entry than any of the others. It just took so much time, energy and heart…I’m nervous!!

I’m off to work on some yoga for my class tomorrow – hope you’re all having a great start to your week!

Still to come this week:

Fall fun at our house
my review of Burt’s Bees skin care products and an update on Project: Clear up my Skin!

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