Nourish and Flourish

Home is Where the Food Is

 

Hi friends!

I knoooow. I've been extremely MIA lately. In the midst of my excitement about last post's KIND bar/Gotein giveaway, I somehow forgot to mention that I was taking a trip home.

Even though I now live in Washington, DC, my heart will always belong to the San Francisco Bay Area!

The first three nights of my trip, my family and I stayed at a boutiquey hotel. 

Translation, "boutiquey": no TV or internet access in the room. Aka not good conditions for a blogger. :-/

However, even though I felt disconnected from you all, in retrospect it was refreshing to unplug for awhile. Very limited access to blogs and Twitter allowed me to connect more personally with family and friends. That said, I'm so happy to be back, and am excited share what I've been up to the past four days. (Bloggers: I promise I'll be catching up on all your lives this week as well!)

Okay, ready to see the good stuff? :-)

As you may know, hundreds of innovative food companies and foodies call the San Francisco Bay Area "home," just as I do. :-)

Mariposa Bakery (more to come in my next post!)

18 Rabbits

TCHO Chocolate

I had the opportunity to sample so many delicious locally-made goodies on this trip! WAY too many to share in this post, so be expecting recaps this week.

I spent the weekend in Berkeley--my childhood home--celebrating the life of my grandma with my family. You may remember that she passed away last spring, and that when she died, I comforted myself by baking her fudge pie, Heath crunch cake and meringues.

On Saturday we had a memorial serice in her memory. I thought it would be a neat idea to print some of my grandma's most well-known recipes on cards so that guests could carry on her culinary tradition in their own kitchens.

 

Aren't Grandma's recipes always best?!

The memorial service was truly beautiful. People from all over the world cmae and shared their memories of her with my family.

And we feasted quite nicely too. Just as Grandma would have wanted. :-)

See's chocolates, her favorite, were obviously mandatory. ;-)

Me with my cousins Sarah and Lauren

Remember in my last post I mentioned that I'd been eating out quite frequently? Well, this week hasn't been any different.

That's the nature of traveling, right? When you're on the road, sometimes meals look like this:

FRESH ricotta!!

And sometimes they look like this:

The picture above is documentation of the "oh no I slept too late and missed the complimentary breakfast" hotel room breakfast. :-) Yeah, I was definitely feeling some fruit overload after that one.

Sometimes nighttime snacks look like this.

I eat cottage cheese, peanut butter and granola (this was 18 Rabbits Pecan, Almond and Maple) almost every night at home, and find that maintaining that consistency when I travel is a nice way to balance out rich meals

And sometimes they look like this.

Last nightI scrapped consistency and enjoyed this treat from Mariposa Bakery before bed. There are no more words. :-)

********

And now...the winner of that giveaway!

My brother is lying on the hotel bed next to me as I type this post, so I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 77.

His choice?

53.

That means that the winner is Amanda at Running With Spoons!

Congrats, Amanda! Please e-mail me your contact info and I'll put your KIND bars and Gotein protein powder in the mail!

*********

I truly love you all SO SO SO SO much! Thank you for encouraging and inspiring me each and every day.

Do you seek out "consistency comfort" foods while traveling? Or do you prefer to wing it and eat whatever you stumble across?

 Brownies or chocolate chip cookies?

I always stock up on apples, bananas, carrots, peanut butter, cottage cheese and string cheese for snacks, but usually opt to sample the local cuisine at meal time.

And I definitely can't choose between brownies and cookies, but I suppose if I had to, I'd go with a moist brownie.

 

 

 

 

What I Ate Week + Giveaway!

I have some exciting news! After finishing up summer classes last week, I moved to a new house located in the heart of Dupont Circle. Besides living with five awesome housemates, the greatest perk of living in my new diggs is that Mr. Yogato, one of my favorite frozen yogurt shops, is located less than a minute from my front door!

I think this means a lot of frozen yogurt is in my furutre. :-D

Even with frozen yogurt practically at my doorstep, packing and transporting my things left me HUNGRY. And when you're hungry, tired and temporarily kitchen utensil-less, that means you eat out. A lot.

So instead of "What I Ate Wednesday," what we have here is "What I ate WEEK." Jenn, can you forgive me for bending the rules this time?

Goi Tom Shrimp Salad from Nam Viet
Pho Bo
Goi Cuon Tom--summer olls with Peanut Sauce
Beet Salad--goat cheese, toasted almonds, grilled fennel, wine vinaigrette from Cafe Ole
Chermoula Shrimp--shrimp marinated in Moroccan spices, grilled and served with chopped vegetables and hummus
Kasik Salad--Diced tomatoes, onions, parsley, cucumber, feta cheese, black olive, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Turkish red crushed peppers from Agora
Swordfish Kabob--marinated in ginger, garlic, lemon juice & olive oil
Ispanak--sautéed spinach, onions, garlic, pine nuts, red crushed peppers
Shish Tavuk--marinated grilled chicken breast with grilled tomatoes, sumac-onions, on garlic pita bread
Mucver--Zucchini pancakes: shredded zucchini, mint, dill, scallions and manchego cheese

Everything here looks *relatively* healthy, yeah? When I eat at restaurants, I try to choose good-for-you dishes. Or at least those dishes that pretend to be good for you. :-) However if I want something rich, I'll go for it and balance it out with a side order of steamed veggies.

I thought I was making wise dining choices until this happened:

After a *few* drinks at Hill Country Friday night, Stephen, Alec and I hit up my new neighborhood McDonald's. I don't think I'd set foot in a Micky D's for at least two years.

Umm, not so sure about that claim. The fries weren't nearly as good as I remembered! 

Alec was pining for apple pie, so he bought two. Then Stephen made a pretty unthinkable assertion: he said that the apple pies don't contain apples, rather POTATOES!

What?!

I told him that was silly. Surely McDonald's doesn't mislead customers that much! Apple pies most certainly contain apples!

We made a bet and shook on it.

For the record, I won. :-D McDonald's apple pies DO contain apples. Stephen owes me a blog post. Expect to be seeing him saying hello here in the coming weeks.

Had I subsisted solely off of restaurant food and French fries last week, I'm sure I would have been left feeling pretty blah. However even though moving made it difficult to cook my own food, I still managed to balance out my meals with healthy snacks.

Two of my current favorite on-the-go snacks obsessions:

KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bars are simply amazing. I've been eating one every day this past week, but that's because I'm consciously limiting myself! I could probably down two or three at once.

Gotein Protein To Go supplements are awesome! I packed a few in my bag when I traveled to Pennsylvania last week, and enjoyed them in-between meals. They also gave me a nice energy boost while I was lifting heavy boxes!

From the company's website:

Gotein comes in three delicious flavors, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry and contains 24 vitamins and minerals as well as the essential amino acids that are naturally occurring in the Protein Matrix. It dissolves completely in water without the chunky residue and goes down smooth without the chalky aftertaste. Gotein™ Protein to Go, helps refuel the body, and improves lean muscle mass.

Pretty great, huh?  

Want to try some yourself? 

Anna, from Gotein, so kindly supplied me with extra samples so that a Nourish and Flourish reader try them out too! Along with the Gotein sticks, I'll throw in a stash of KIND Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate bars.

Talk about a dynamic duo snack pack!

There are three ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Tell me about your favorite on-the-go snack and/or your favorite fast food indulgence.

2. Tell me which Gotein flavor sounds the best to you.

3. "Like" Gotein on Facebook!

3. Follow me on Twitter!

A winner will be announced Monday, June 27th!

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

 

Wedding Buffet? Or Boof-fay?

 Hi friends!

Wheww! I'm back in DC, after spending a whirlwind weekend in Pennsylvania! I had to scrap my plans to update you during the trip because we were literally on-the-go every hour of every day.

Thank you SO much for chiming in about which dress to wear to the ceremony. I tallied the votes and took your advice! Keep reading (or skip my rambling and scroll down) to find out which of the two dresses you liked best. :-)

Five of my close college friends and I loaded up two cars and hit the road early Friday morning.

I was running on three hours of sleep, and desperately needed some energy to prevent myself from nodding off at the wheel.

The FRS energy drink was...interesting. I took two sips and couldn't stomach any more. This beverage contains mango juice, which means I should like it. However it's milky and flat...I was expecting carbonation, but FRS lacked the spunky fizz I was hoping for.

Fail.

Instead I opted for SoBe Lifewater...

Definite win.

And lots of yummy snacks...

My favorite energy bars, plus two new-to-me products: Gotein protein supplements and Zone Perfect Sweet and Salty bars. *Reviews (and giveaways!) coming soon!*

And yes, I brought along an entire jar of peanut butter.

As did Elaina...

We took lots of stretching breaks during the 5-hour roadtrip...

And found some exciting snacks at trucker roadstops...

Can I tempt you with some QUAIL EGGS?! 

Or how about a few beet pickles?

I bet Christina would LOVE these.

However, instead of spending a pretty penny on the latter two options, I opted for an equally exciting Greek yogurt.

When you're driving, eating food from between your legs is very necessary. ;-)

Once we arrived in Delmont, PA (a teeny town about 30 minutes outside Pittsburgh), we quickly changed, shaved our legs (in my case at least) and headed towards Lingrow farm, the wedding site, for the rehearsal dinner.

It also happened to be the bride's birthday, so we celebrated that as well!

One of the highlights of the evening was grooving to tunes on the lawn...

And stopping for a midnight treat at Dairy Queen on the way back to the hotel!

The staff took a liking to us...

Especially when I told them that they'd be featured on my blog. I'm now friends with them on Facebook! Ha!

The next day was wedding day!

Per your recommendations, I went with dress #2 :-)


Right before the ceremony began, a huge storm came in and delayed the wedding!

We waited under white tents for over an hour before it cleared. The groomsmen brought us coctails while we waited.

Despite the weather--and a muddy wedding dress--Meg was GLOWING.

After the vows were said, and (happy) tears shed, the sun came out. :D

Isn't Lingrow Farm a gorgeous event venue? I'd love to have my wedding in a setting just like this!

The reception began about an hour after the wedding ended.

Dinner was served buffet style. I filled my plate with butter-poached salmon (rich, but good), flank steak, green beans almondine and roasted potatoes.

I also enjoyed several glasses of Frambiose (raspberry) "Beer." :-)

This drink is pretty amazing. It's sweet, just as I like it, and tastes like fresh squeezed raspberry juice with a slight fizzy kick. Yum.

Following dinner, we hit the dance floor for four hours. Unfortunately I there's no documentation of me ripping it up because my camera died. But I assure you, I got down. ;-)

I made sure to take a few breaks so that I could refuel with treats from the cookie bar.

I was excited that gluten free options were available for those who couldn't eat cake. The mini cheesecakes were my favorite, although the coconut-chocolate-nut bars and the buckeyes (unpictured) were delicious too.

The day after the wedding, a few of us headed into Pittsburgh to explore. Going camera-less in a new city is near torture! I wish I could show you pictures of the frickles and fried oreos I encountered!

Lesson learned: I will never ever forget my camera charger again! Ever.

I'm curious...How do you pronounce BUFFET?

a) "boof-fay"

b) "buf-fay"

This turned into a heated discussion at the reception! I'd love to know which way you think is correct!

p.s.  I added the Peanut Butter Oat Pop Tart recipe to my recipe page. Check it out here!

A Pop Tart and a Wedding

I’ve been eating rather childishly this week.

First came those ring pops.

Then I turned down a complimentary glass of wine in favor of this:

The hairdressers at my salon always offer customers free wine to sip while they primp. They also have Horizon milk boxes on hand...for kids.

What 25-year-old in her right mind turns down a glass of wine and instead begs for chocolate milk?

Me me me me!

Let's not forget another childhood favorite: fried mozzarella.

Thanks to Jenn, I've enjoyed this baked version (with pesto!) three times this week. I highly recommend you go make them now! (After listening to me babble, of course) ;-)

But I'm throwing the most blame for my kid-like eating on the man standing in front of me in line at the grocery store Tuesday. He was purchasing two of my three favorite childhood breakfasts: Strawberry Pop Tarts and Quaker Fruit and Cream instant oatmeal.

You know, the variety pack.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal was the only thing missing from his cart. ;-)

Even though these foods are laden with buckets sugar, and in the Pop Tarts case, 47829 ingredients I can’t pronounce, they still make me think of my childhood. And that makes me want to eat them.

So what’s a nostalgic, penny-pinching, health-conscious girl to do?

 

She makes homemade healthified strawberries n’ cream oatmeal!

It’s been years since I’ve had an appetite for oats, but let me assure you, this bowl delivered.

However, just a few hours after finishing that breakfast, I was thinking about those Pop Tarts again. How does one create a gluten free Pop Tart?

I finished off the remains of a peanut butter jar to help get the brain juices flowing.

Eh, pastry dough  is too much work...

How about an oat crust instead?

With peanut butter mixed in...

Oh yes.

The recipe for my Peanut Butter and Jelly 'Oat Pop Tarts' will be posted to my recipe page this weekend!

Perhaps the real reason I’ve been pining for childhood eats is because I’m in denial about growing up.

One of my girlfriends is going to be a beautiful bride on Saturday. Today I'm driving to Pennsylvania with a group of friend's to watch her become a real adult. I am beyond excited to celebrate this life milestone with her!

However I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic for my youth--for those times when we'd act crazy and uninhibited. When we'd drive to 7-11 for slurpees at 2am. When we'd spontatneously dance the night away...in our dorm rooms.

Seven of my friends are getting hitched this summer. Seven! (And one of them is quite a diva!) :-)

As friends marry and move away, things change. But I wholeheartedly believe change is good--and exciting! A door may be closing, but that only means a new one will be opening...

Who knows, maybe Mr. Right will walk through that door this weekend!

I sure as heck better look the part! ;-p

***And that's where YOU come in!***

I have four dresses packed, but I've more or less narrowed it down to these two:

Dress #1

Dress #2

Which do you like best???

The wedding is at 3:00pm Saturday. Tell me which one I should wear!

<3 LOVE AND HUGS! <3

I'll update from Pennsylvania!

What's your favorite "kid food?"

For me, everything mentioned in this post, plus macaroni and cheese and cheetos.

WHICH DRESS????

I'm so torn!

 

Ring Pop Addict

You know you have a serious problem when you dodge hail pellets the size of golf balls just to get a cup of frozen yogurt.

It's called an addiction. :-)

The other day I was downtown because my tempermental phone needed a checkup at the Verizon store. After nearly two hours of troubleshooting with a technician, I'd grown tired and cranky and needed some sugar. I knew just where to go.

recycled pic

Problem: A HUGE storm had rolled into town and it was raining cats and dogs. Really. The sky was shooting bullets. I was wearing a sundress and sandals. No umbrella.

I decided to wait out the storm for a bit, but after standing in the doorway of Starbucks for 20 minutes, I couldn't ignore my craving any longer. I took off in the hail (those pellets HURT!), and beelined for Pinkberry, which was about 10 blocks away.

They recently unveiled their new flavor!

Salted Caramel!

I was skeptical, but the guy behind the counter insisted it was tasty. He forced me to try it with chocolate. ;-)

And he didn't stop there...next up was watermelon + original. Then coconut + lychee.

Bless his soul.

I think the Pinkberry employees were bored because the store was completely empty. Apparently nobody else is crazy enough to walk to Pinkberry in the middle of a raging hail storm.

By the time I ordered, I'd tried every flavor!

I ended up going with Salted Caramel and Original. This was a strange combination, but strange combinations are THE JAM, no?!

As I was enjoying my treat, I starting thinking about the amount of money I've spent on frozen yogurt during my lifetime. I'm guessing thousands of dollars. In college, I'd buy a pint every day. I'm serious, guys. And I'd eat the entire thing in a couple of hours.

Fortunately I've learned to practice moderation, but I could save a lot of money if I started making my own frozen yogurt...

And that's just what I did last night!

I found these ring pop molds at Whole Foods, and couldn't resist.

Yes, I'm five years-old.

A few days ago I saw a Bethenny Frankel recipe in Health magazine for yogurt pops. I remember it called for Greek yogurt, sugar and not much else.

I sweetened one cup of Chobani plain yogurt with stevia and added raspberries...

...Mashed it all together, scooped it into the molds...

and one hour later...

VOILA!!

Ring pop candy (remember those?!) have NOTHING on my ring pop froyo!

I also made a few plain...
 



Mmmmm...

**Frozen Yogurt Ring Pops** (or bars)

1-2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt (plain or your favorite flavor)

Stevia (or any sweetener. Not necessary if you use sweetened yogurt!)

Mix-ins (Next I'm going to try banana and peanut butter!)

1. Simply mix your yogurt and scoop into molds. You can also use muffin tins lined with wax paper!

2. Freeze for 1-2 hours

Enjoy!

These make a perfect protein-rich snack on a hot day! I ate all six within an hour...

I think this means another addiction is in the works!

Did you love ring pops as a child as much as I did?

What's your favorite summer treat?

 

 

 

 

My Seven Summer Pleasures

Hi friends! I hope you all enjoyed a relaxed and restorative long weekend!

They say Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, and they couldn't be more right. Yesterday my car thermometer read 120 degrees! My Bug tends to exaggerate temperatures though, so we'll go with 100*. :-)

Nonetheless, it was HOT, and it looks like the heat is here to stay!

However, it's definitely not the swamp-like weather that makes summer my favorite season...

 
...but simple pleasures.

Summertime helps me remember that joy in life is found by savoring the small things--the everyday happenings that we so often take for granted.

The following are seven of my favorite simple summer pleasures (in no particular order):

What are yours?

1. *Sand on Skin*

Foot modeling on the beach in Mexico ;-)

Not only does it feel good, it's also good for you. The gently abrasive grains buff away dead skin cells, softening your skin and making it glow!    

2. *Melting Ice Cream*

In the winter I microwave my ice cream to achieve that irresistible soft consistency. (Does anyone else do this?!).

But in the summer, that's no longer necessary!

 

3. *Trashy Indulgent Novels*

Beach reading is all the better when it feels like a real indulgence. Think of it as dessert for your mind; the emptier the intellectual calories, the better! So go ahead,you've been good. Have a summer fling with an indulgent book. ;-p

Three of my favorite indulgent reads:

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen

The English American by Alison Larkin

4. *Juicy Fruit* 

I don't mean this...

Although Juicy Fruit gum does evoke many happy childhood memories! (As does Bazooka! Remember those comic strips?)

No, I'm talking about the real thing: succulent, affordable (!!), juicy, ripe fruit, like peaches and pineapple. Plump strawberries and watermelon.

It's delicious plain, but also shines in easy appetizers like this:

**Watermelon, Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Skewers with Basil and Balsamic**

I brought these to a "finger food" party last week and they were devoured.

Click HERE for the recipe!

5. *S'more's by the campfire**

I just loooove getting dirt on my clothes and peeing in outhouses, don't you? ;-p

All kidding aside, I truly enjoy camping because it provides the opportunity to breathe fresh air, marvel at gorgeous scenery, swim in crystal clear lakes and cocoon in a sleeping bag at night.

But what I love most about camping is making s'mores.

And eating them...

6. *Fair Food*

It happens just once a year... 

Yep, it's pure sugar. Yep, it's PINK. But you know what? It makes me feel like I'm five. And that's fun. :-p

7. *Roadtrips*

Windows down + breeze + sexy shades + summer tunes = perfect recipe for a roadtrip. I'm taking two this summer: 1) a friend's wedding in Pennsylvania and 2) Charleston, where I plan to wine, dine and dance with this hungry, healthy chick.

I'll be listening to a few of my favorite summer songs to help the roadtime fly by:

Life is a Highway--Rascal Flatts

Summer of '69--Bryan Adams

Summer Nights--John Travolta and Olivia Newton John (looove Grease!)

Born to Run--Bruce Springsteen

Soak Up the Sun--Sheryl Crow

Summertime--DJ Jazzy and the Fresh Prince (check out Will Smith in the 80's!)

We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel

Summer Girls--LFO (I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch...oooh high school)

*HUGS!!*

What is your favorite summer song?

Favorite simple summer pleasure?

 

Gratitude and Brownie in a Mug

Hello! Today I'd planned on sharing a few highlights from my mom's visit, but since it's the middle of the week that means one thing...

WIAW!

Instead of a day's worth of eats, let's talk about a few delicious highlights from the past few days (+ one recipe you don't want to miss!). Enjoy!

* * * * *

Warning: sappy alert :-)

The average person probably associates gratitue with saying thank you for a gift or benefit received, but it is SO much more than that. Gratitude is wonder; it is appreciation; it is looking at the bright side of a setback; it is fathoming abundance; it is thanking someone in your life; it is thanking God; it is counting blessings. It is savoring simple pleasures.

Once upon a time...

A 2% milk cappuccino would have been on my "no-no" list.

Today I am grateful for it's creamy nourishment.

Over the weekend my mom and I enjoyed cappuccinos and cookies at Baked and Wired, one of DC's best bakeries!

Once upon a time...

Avocado, heart of palm and shrimp "salad"

A tower of avocado would have induced anxiety.

Today I celebrate that this healthy fat makes my hair shiny and supplies my body with vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin C!

Last Thursday, my family and I ate dinner at Bodega, an authentic Spanish tapas restauraunt in Georgetown. 

  In addition to the avocado stack above, I enjoyed these dishes:

Creamy Saffron Rice with Shrimp--RICH but delicious!

 Spinach sauteed with apples, raisins and pine nuts

Once upon a time...

Fried meant "fat."

Today, I'm grateful that I'm free to enjoy platanos fritos (fried plantains) without guilt.

These were also coated in rum and sugar. Talk about triple trouble! ;-p

My family and I celebrated my brother's graduation with a fancy dinner at Ceiba a  Latin American restaurant that features "nuevo" fusion food.

The fried plantains were a perfect compliment to my entree:

Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Serrano Ginger Vinaigrette

And that was just half the plate...This was the best part:

Crab, Avocado and Black Bean Tostada

Simply. AMAZING. Crab and avocado is one of my favorite food combinations. This practically melted in my mouth.

We finished our meal with a slice of Tres Leches Cake.

Since the cake obviously wasn't gluten free, I enjoyed the frosting and caramel sauce, as well as the caramelized sugar cookie nestled on top.

By the end of our meal we were beyond FULL.

But wait, there's always room for more sweets, right?

Our waiter brought us a bowl of complimentary caramel popcorn to chase our cake!

This was seriously some of the best caramel popcorn I've ever had.

Once upon a time...

I'd make dessert for my friends and family, and watch them enjoy it.

Today I make dessert for my friends and family, and enjoy it with them. 

 ***Instant Mini Brownie in a Mug***

Ingredients:

  2 Tablespoons GF Flour or baking mix (or any flour of choice)
  2 Tablespoons sugar or 1-2 packets of stevia
  1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
  1 Tablepsoon Coconut Butter/Oil or Vegetable Oil
  1 Tablespoon water

dash of salt

Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt in the mug and mix. Next, add the oil and water, and mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Your brownie should be gooey in the center.

Please try this!! You won't be dissapointed!

Eat what you love, love what you eat. Live with purpose. Laugh with gusto.

Because life is too short not to.

<3

 

 

I <3 It

Do you remember AOL instant messenger?

The online chatting service became popular when I was in junior high school, and was possibly the coolest thing invented since the Tomagatchi (which was obviously the coolest thing invented when I was in elementary school).:-p

AIM is the granddaddy of Twitter, gchat and Facebook.

Maybe more importantly, it's where I learned the term LOL, BRB, and OMG.

And let's not forget g2g, and LMAO! :-p

These acronyms became so engrained in my vocabulary repetoire during my teen years that they often slip into my speech today.

"Oh em gee, that made me El-oh-el!"

Jk. This doesn't really happen. In fact, using acronym expressions in sentences is one of my pet peeves. So, I was skeptical when my friend, Jen, told me about the website, We <3 It. Ok, I know, <3 isn't an acronym, but it's used with acronyms.

The website We <3 It allows you to select almost any image from the web and add it to your page. The idea is to fill your page with pictures of things you love.  It's so much fun, and almost as addicting as Facebook. Seriously.

I'm just getting my page started, but I thought it would be fun to start a monthly I <3 It blog post. So here goes:

**What I'm <3 ing right now: May edition**

1.GUAVA GODDESS

My alarm may not get me out of bed in the morning, but this sure does:

If you're familiar with the health and food blogging community, you've probably read all about KOMBUCHA. For those of you who haven't, this is a WONDER drink. Per the recommendation of Lindsay, I've been drinking about one bottle each day (Guava Goddess is my favorite flavor), and have noticed HUGE changes in my energy and digestion. At $3-something a pop, it's an expensive habit, but WORTH IT!

2. FLORALS

 
Bouquet mini purse

 

Nanette Lepore floral bikini (as seen on Ashley Greene, Glamour's May cover model)

Would you wear vinage-y bikini bottoms like this? I love 'em because they actually cover your bum! This means you can SWIM without worrying about losing your pants. :-p

Lonchamp floral tote

I truly love Longchamp bags, and carry one almost every day. This is such a fun spring spin on the classic.

 

Garden Floral Dress

Floral Sundress

Which dress do you like best? I'm going to order one of them!

3. RED MANGO RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE FROZEN YOGURT

Need I say more? I actually haven't tried this yet, but next week I'm going on a Red Mango date with my friend James.

James is a proud member of Club Mango, and so kindly offered to share his free frozen yogurt with me!

4. PRETTY-IN-PINK POUTS

II recently bought MAC Candy Yum Yum so that I could replicate Rachel McAdams' look. How could you not like a lipstick with a delicious name like that?

5. UNCONVENTIONAL "PASTA" MARINARA

This has become my go-to meal! Use a mandolin to shred the zucchini into "pasta ribbons". Toss with your favorite pasta sauce (I used Whole Foods Organic Marinara), microwave for a minute, or until hot, and top with goat cheese and fat free or part-skim ricotta. It's super fast, fresh and satisfying.

6. FRUITY DRINKS

This past week, I've enjoyed a mango bellini, pina colada and glass of sangria.

Mango Bellini

True story: I used to shun juice-based drinks because I wanted to avoid drinking my calories. I have since scrapped that philosophy 110%. Life is too short to not enjoy a tall glass of sangria!

Click here for my favorite sangria recipe!

Know what else I <3?

My mom. She's arriving today for a short, 3-day visit! We'll be celebrating my brother's graduation and a belated Mother's Day. Lots of shopping and eating will be happening, so I'll be back in a few days with a recap! :-)

I hope you all have a BEAUTIFUL weekend! I truly love you all, and feel so blessed to be part of, learn from, and grow with, such an encouraging community of friends. <3

Question of the day:

What are you <3ing right now?

 

Blend Friend: Weekend Recap!

Today I'm celebrating friendship!

Over the weekend, I spent four fantastically fabulous fun-filled days with Katie. (She snuck the sweet card above into my kitchen cupboard, next to two of our mutual loves: peanut flour and seaweed snacks, before we headed to the airport yesterday morning. Sneaky, sneaky!)

Even though we met through blogging, two minutes into our first face-to-face conversation, we realized that we aren't just "blends" (blog + friend = blend...not my term! slightly tacky, but let's roll with it, k?!), but real, soulful FRIENDS.

Over the weekend, we bonded big time. :-)

DANCING

Getting our groove on at District. 

SWEATING

After 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of muscle building weight lifting, this is what happens:

SHOPPING

Katie was in desperate need of a Whole Foods fix! 

I made sure she got one every day.

We also hit up Lululemon!

Love their mantra.

Katie went to town...And then her love for all things Lulu rubbed off on me. I caved and bought my very first piece of Lulu gear:

The Define jacket! I know I'm going to be living in this. 

We also bonded by...

EATING

(duh! we're food-lovers!)

Thursday night we ate dinner with Lauren at Dirty Martini.

There was nothing dirty about this place. In fact, it was very swank.

Eating here was actually a desperation move. We'd been waiting in line at the Pinkberry grand opening for nearly and hour, and just couldn't wait any longer. A teaspoon-sized sample was definitely not enough to quell hunger pangs!

Dirty Martini was literally right next door.

Everything on the small plate menu sounded delicious. Katie and I both ordered the grilled chicken skewers.

Marinated chicken, served with curry sauce, zucchini,
squash and red onion. 

Lauren ordered the seared ahi.

Latin spiced seared rare Ahi tuna, cilantro-aioli with
grilled papaya puree and fried plantain chips

We were all slightly dissappointed with the serving size of our dinners.  We shoveled down the $15 dollar three-bite meal appetizers in about two minutes. Our stomachs were still grumbling, so we ordered side salads, which went unpictured.

I think the lesson learned that evening is this:

A) Bring snacks to Pinkberry store grand openings. You'll likely have to wait 3 hours and may become hangry.

B) Don't go searching for a substantial dinner at a place named after a naughty alcoholic drink.

Friday night we ate at Spices in Cleveland Park.

The food was good...

Fresh Crab California Roll--my favorite!

Ginger Salad==Young tender ginger roots, cabbage, cabbage, carrot, roasted peanut and fried shallots

Tofu with Mixed Vegetables--Fried tofu with vegetables in ginger sauce

But the drinks were better!

MANGO Bellini! I break the rules when I drink. Bellini's are not just for breakfast! This was quite tasty.

Several of Katie's friends joined us.
Christine, a fellow blogger, also came, however somehow I managed to leave without her picture! :-( I guess that means we need to get together for dinner again soon, Christine!

The night continued with some serious booty-shakin' in Dupont Circle.

The next day, Katie and I finally got our Pinkberry fix!

I'll take one of every flavor, thankyouverymuch. :-)

By the looks of the lines Thursday night, I was worried that they'd run out of yogurt for a month. Thank goodness that wasn't the case!

Every bite was blissful.

I warned the employees that I'd be moving in this summer. In fact, I'm returning today, and plan on becoming an official Pinkberry groupie.

I'll definitely miss my Pinkberry partner in crime, though!

(sidenote: I love Katie's nail polish color! It's French Affair by Essie. I'm going hunting for it today.)

Katie is truly a beautiful person, inside and out! I feel so fortunate to call her my FRIEND, and am looking forward to many fun, crazy adventures with her in the near future!

"Turns out not where but who you're with that really matters."

"Best of What's Around" Dave Matthews Band

 

50 Most Beautiful People in FOOD + Blueberry Scones

I set my alarm for 4:30 Friday morning, *hoping* that I'd have it in me to rise before the sun to watch William and Kate tie the knot.

It didn't happen. In fact, I slept through my alarm. :-( Thank goodness for DVR! (Side note: I'd love to hear your thoughts about the fashion, especially Kate's dress , Beatrice's hat and Victoria's Louboutin pumps (while pregnant)!)

Last night I forgot to reset my alarm and nearly jumped out of bed when it began blaring at 4:30 this morning. Of course I wake up early on a day created for sleeping in! :-p

I tossed and turned for a few hours, but couldn't seem to get breakfast off my mind.

Two nights ago, I whipped up a batch of blueberry scones (vegan and gluten free) using this recipe from a bakery in New York City. I made a few changes, substituting almond milk for the soy milk, and adding an extra 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Consider these scones my tribute to British royalty. Nothing screams "English" more than scones and clotted cream, right?!  Even though I ate mine sans cream, they were still quite a treat!

*Blueberry Scones*

3 cups gluten free flour mix or oat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt 
11 tablespoons Earth Balance cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries 
1 3/4 cups chilled almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 teaspoons raw sugar
 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. 

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add Earth Balance. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.

3. Stir almond milk and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until doughcomes together (dough will be very moist). 

4. Using 1/4-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. OR create one large mound and cut into triangles.  Sprinkle tops with sugar.

5. Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature. ENJOY!

I enjoyed a scone around 6:00am, and then climbed back in bed, only to sleep through a running date with a friend. Sorry, Ash! I definitely owe you a scone!

  

*50 Most Beautiful People in Food*

If you've been in a grocery store this week, you know that Jennifer Lopez was crowned one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People of the year.

What would you think if you found out that this chick was in the running for the title?

Or how about this brawny boy?

The San Francisco Chronicle wants to know who YOU think is the most beautiful "person" in FOOD! There are 50 contestants pining for the crown. Click here to cast your vote! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth could really use some lovin'. Or maybe the gruff Gorton fisherman is more your style. And who doesn't love Mr.  Quaker Oats?

I just cast my vote for this hunk:

Yes, that's the Senor Paul Newman. I'm not sure I'm digging the mustache, but his salsa sure does taste good!

St. Pauli girl (whose picture I'm not going to show here, for obvious reasons) is currently in first place, followed by Santitas Chip Girl.

We all know that food is pretty, but the people that "make" it aren't typically recognized for their beauty. Go show them your support! Voting closes May 5, so hurry up! :-)

This post has to be cut short because my guilty conscience is getting to me, and I need to start cracking on paper-writing and studying. In just one week I'll be done with my first semester of grad school!  I'm very much looking forward to an entire week off before summer session starts. And guess who's coming to help me celebrate?

She's famous for her oat smashes and love of Hello Kitty. Can't wait!!

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

                                    "Taking joy in LIFE is a woman's best cosmetic."

                                                            -Rosalind Russel

Question of the day:

Most attractive GUY in food? Green Giant, Gorton, Orville Redenbacher, Mr. Quaker Oats or other?