Just a quick note to let all three of you who follow my blog know that I will no longer be continuing my ‘Nothing to Wear’ wardrobe challenge. Being that my current situation has become a little more overwhelming than I would have thought, the challenge became more of a burden, something I don’t need. Even though I’m abandoning the challenge I will make an effort to take pictures of outfits I wear and like, and will post them under the ‘Clothes and Accessories’ category. (Don’t forget to keep up with my sisters challenge still at Lizzyrae.com)
I have also started a category called ‘What to Wear- outfit assembly’ to attempt to tackle the dilemma we face when trying to put together an outfit for a specific event or create an outfit around a certain item. Selfishly this category is to help me be creative and be able to visualize pieces together, but of course I hope it helps you to. Leave a comment to let me know if you have an event or an item that we can try to conquer together! 
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sidenote: I am determined to go through my wardrobe one more time. With all the clothes I have I still find that I am missing so many basic wardrobe staples and have way too many ‘of-the-moment’ pieces. I need the classics. Now if I only had the money to acquire them….hmmm…………
Sean and I are going out to dinner tonight with my parents to one of Sean’s favorite restaurants: Far Niente. It is a fabulous Italian restaurant in Glendale and we always leave incredibly full and satisfied. It has a nice atmosphere that I think calls for a “semi-nice” outfit, but not really formal. Like most restaurants in Southern California you always get a mix of guests, some come in jeans and a t-shirt and some come in dress pants and a blazer, but I prefer to lean towards the nicer side.
As I was trying to tackle the “What to Wear” dilemma for tonight, I thought that there are probably so many women out there like me who fight this dilemma quite often. Whether it’s an every day thing like ‘what to wear to work’ or the always hard ‘what to wear to a wedding’, these predicaments can leave you totally overwhelmed and frustrated. Well it does for me anyways. I thought I would start a category called “What to Wear” that might help me sort through my ideas and maybe help some of you along the way.
So for today I will help myself by trying to decide what to wear to dinner tonight ….
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Combining the leather jacket and the Ankle boots with feminine ruffles of the top and the beautiful necklace make this a great outfit for a dinner date with friends.
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I love all the pieces and textures that make this look eclectic while the feminine details make it sweet and appropriate for a date night with your man.
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Not sure which concept I will go with tonight but putting both of these outfits together got the creative juices flowing to help me make up a great outfit…hopefully. Stay tuned for more “What to Wear” ideas.
We flip through a closet busting with blouses, sweaters and tees trying to throw together an interesting outfit in a matter of minutes before we rush out the door. It can be overwhelming. But what we’re leaving out is the other part of our wardrobe that often gets forgotten: Accessories. I think we all seriously underestimate the power of accessories. I will cut to the chase and give you two reasons why I think they are so essential:
1) They can spice up any basic outfit.
We should all have closets filled with basics: a collared button up, a simple tee, a v-neck sweater etc. Even though these are great wardrobe staples they can be really boring on their own. Adding a great accessory will give the outfit just what it needs- color, texture, and interest.
2) They keep you trendy, without spending a ton.
You can spend a lot of money on clothes trying to keep up with the of-the-moment trends. You go out and splurge on the latest ‘in’ thing and a couple weeks later the experts are telling you to ditch it for something else. For a cheaper alternative purchase some great, trendy accessories for a fraction of the price. These will give you the same, if not a bigger, fashionable impact.
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Here are a few examples of how to spice up a basic outfit with accessories…
…Forever 21 is a great place to find those accessories at a super cheap price. I will list some of those great F21 finds for each category, all for less than $10!
F21 suggestions:
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F21 suggestions:
Layered Bands Elastic Belt $6.80
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F21 suggestions:
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F21 suggestions:
Pretzel Drape Chain Necklace $6.80
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F21 suggestions:
Woven Fedora w/ Striped Belt $6.50
So don’t take for granted your fabulous accessories and the power they have in your outfit.
Remember they are great for adding COLOR, TEXTURE and INTEREST to any ensemble!
Our usual Sunday crew of football watchers was trying to figure out what the heck we’re going to do on Sunday after football season is over. Lots of ideas were thrown out there and we’re still not quite sure what our Sundays will be like on a weekly basis but a moment of that day will be spent on a scale. Let me explain. I’m not really sure who or when this was first suggested but somehow we all agreed to a ‘Biggest Loser Competition’. We each picked either a 1 or a 2 out of a hat to divide us up onto either team one (aka the Double Chinz) or team two (aka the Muffin Topz). There are five people on each team, and it just so happened that every couple was split up, one on each team, which is even better for competition. Our starting weight was recorded that first Sunday along with our goal weight we wish to meet by Easter. Since then we are all attempting to hold each other accountable to eating better and working out. It’s great motivation for me.
This last Sunday was our second weigh in. My team, the Muffin Topz, was the weekly winner losing a total of 12.6 lbs (only one more lb. than the double chinz) which was 1.51% of our total. Our victory was with NO help from me. I only lost 0.2 lbs?! What the heck! I worked out every single day and always eat well. This may be a very frustrating competition for me. Although, personally, I am more concerned with losing inches than pounds. That number means nothing to me if I can’t fit into my jeans, you know what I’m saying?!
Knowing that we all are watching our weight, the snacks and meals around our house on Sunday looked a little different than usual. More veggies, less chips. However, I found a recipe for a dessert that I had to try out. We decided it was our reward (even though I didn’t really deserve one) for a week of hard work.
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This recipe is from Food Network’s Guy Fieri, who doesn’t make anything that’s remotely good for you. But I saw the name of the recipe and I was hooked: Tequila Bars! They tasted as delicious as they sound.
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Tequila Bars
Cook time: 43 mins Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients:
- 1 12oz box of Nilla Wafers (LoLoLove these)
- 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
- 3/4 cups unsalted Butter, melted
- 1/3 cup Tequila
- 1/2 cup fresh Lime juice
- 5 Large egg yolks, plus 2 egg whites
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Agave nectar, or honey, for drizzling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1) Pulse the wafers and pine nuts in a food processor until well ground up. Add the butter and blend until evenly mixed. Set aside 1/4 cup of crumbs. (I forgot to set this aside. Oops)
2) Press the rest evenly into a 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool.
3) In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the tequila, lime juice, egg yolks and condensed milk.
4) In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. (I love cooking at my parents house so I can use their cooking toys like this mixer)
* This is what both mixtures should look like at this point
5) Gently fold the egg whites into the tequila mixture. (Try to maintain the fluffy consistency of the egg white mix as you fold)
6) Spread the filling evenly over the crust and bake for 25 minutes; cool. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight before cutting.
7) Cut into the desired size, drizzle with Agave Nectar and serve.
One bite of these evil bars and there went that 0.2 lbs I lost. Haha.
I thought these turned out pretty darn yummy. It had a cheesecake-y consistency, very light and fluffy with a tasty crust. I liked the tangy lime taste combined with the sweetness of the crust, and the hint of that tequila! I will make this one again.
As for the competition, here’s to hoping that I can lose more than 0.2 lbs this week!!…
I have some of the worst eyebrows ever! They are sparse, dark, coarse, curly and have horrible cowlicks. Yet over the years I have learned a thing or two about what they are supposed to look like and the best ways to tame them.
I have been going to the same esthetician to get my brows groomed since I was a freshman in high school. This was after my junior high years of taking a razor to my crazy brows. Yea you read that right…A RAZOR! I had no clue what to do with the tweezers and was too scared to ask my mom for help. So my solution was just to shave a little off them. You can guess how well that turned out. That was just one reason I have highly traumatic pictures from those days.
After that my mom talked me into going to her esthetician so she could fix me up. But before she could really restore the situation I had to grow out my eyebrows! They were mangy and all over the place for months before she could work her magic. But the end result was well worth it.
The road to great brows wasn’t perfect from that point on. Again, my brows are sparse, thick, coarse and because of the razor they grew back in a million different directions. Fighting with them was a daily ritual. Usually I wouldn’t even bother with that fight and just leave them until the next time I went to the esthetician.
However, ever since I started paying for my own trips to get my brows waxed and tamed, I have gone less often. It’s not terribly expensive and I adore my brow lady (Hi Kimberly!!) but with money being really tight this isn’t a luxury I can afford.
With that being said, I have worked really hard at keeping my brows under control. I know that there are lots of women who were blessed with great brows that require little to no maintenance, but I obviously am not one of those. Whether you are like me and have crazy brows or maybe you just want a couple hints to get you better brows, read on.
Disclaimer: I don’t claim to be a brow expert, these are just the tricks that work best for me
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Tools to have on hand: tweezers, grooming scissors, brow gel or clear mascara, brow grooming brush, brow pen and/or shadow, highlighter.
Let me give you a before picture. You can see what I was talking about: sparse, course, and all over the place. Be warned…
In the next few steps I use a great tool made by Anastasia, eyebrow stencils. Anastasia is actually the name of the woman who is the eyebrow guru to many stars. She has a salon in Beverly Hills and a million products, all with her name stamped on it. The stencils are not completely necessary but really helpful.
The stencil kit comes with five stencils to choose from. Select the shape that best suites you. Mine was High Arch. To align your brow correctly you need to make a mark at three points. 1)Straight up from the center of your nostril is where the brow should begin. 2) From the center of your nostril crossing right through the center of your pupil is where your arch should be. 3) From the center of your nostril to the outer edge of your eye is where the brow should end (I forgot to take a pic of this step). Whether you are using the stencil or not these three points are the same.
Next you’ll need either your brow pen or your angled brow brush with shadow. The brow pen I have is also by Anastasia. It’s super easy to use with it’s soft felt tip. The angled brow brush I like the best is actually a two-in-one I got from Costco of all places in a great brush kit. With the brush you need to find a shadow that most closely matches your brow color.
Next you want to fill in the stencil with either your brow pen or brush with shadow, or I like to use both. If you’re not using a stencil you need to eyeball where the lines of your brow should be and don’t go passed them.
Take the stencil off. Your brows might look a little something like this now, a nice shadowed shape but still lots of crazy stray hairs present.
Next you want to grab your brow grooming brush and grooming scissors. Brush hairs up and trim along the brow line. Then pluck away any hairs outside the new shadow brow line.
Ahhhhh much better. I know they’re still not perfect but they look SO much better.
Check out the comparison between the eyebrow that has been done and the one that hasn’t. Quite a difference in my eyes.
There are just a few finishing touches before we’re done. After putting a ton of color to the brow to help define the space they can tend to look a little too dark and drawn in. To render this brush a bit of foundation powder over them to soften the color and brush through with brow grooming brush. You keep hairs in place by combing on either a brow gel or clear mascara works just the same. Last step is to sweep on a highlighter color right under the arch of the brow. There are tons of highlighter products out there. I love this one that I have by MAC that’s a two-in-one highlight and defining powder.
After following all the above steps the finished product is neat, well defined, but natural looking. Not the best picture of me but you get the point.
Remember: Your eyebrows make such a huge impact on your face, whether it’s a good or bad impact is up to you! Hope this post gave you a helpful hint or two!
Where to begin. I’m not sure. So we’ll just start from the beginning….
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Back track about 11 months or so, which would put us in March of 2009. Sean and I are driving to Ichiban for their delicious suchi lunch special ($7 bucks a person, can’t beat it) and listening to what else but AM 570 Sports Talk Radio. Through the speakers we hear the familiar voice of the great Pete Carroll chatting it up about his football team. As we pull into a parking place at Ichiban, Sean turned to me and out of no where asked “Could you ever be a coaches wife?”. Well that was random. But I didn’t hesitate and answered “Yea”. We each sat silent for a second and then got out of the car, I could hear the yellow tail calling my name.
We sat down at our table, ordered our usual and sat there in another, possibly akward, silence sipping our waters. I broke the silence by asking him why he had asked if I could be a coaches wife. He explained that recently he had been thinking about what his life might be like as a football coach. He further explained that his second dream career has always been to be a big time college football coach (the first was a childhood dream of wanting to be a pro quarterback of course). And recently he had been feeling this tug on his heart about needing to look into that further. He went on to say that he didn’t want to wake up and be 45 with a family and have the regret of never having explored this. I didn’t even think twice before telling him that I thought he would be such a great college football coach and that I would completely support him if he decided that this was something he wanted to pursue. For the next half hour or so, over a great bowl of miso soup and some yummy spicy yellow tail rolls, we talked more and even dreamed together about where this might take us.
With this little thing called ‘Our Wedding’ coming up quickly and all the craziness that it brought, we didn’t really talk about this much more, but it didn’t mean both of us weren’t thinking about it. The next time it came up was sometime in July. I honestly don’t remember when it was exactly. But from that point on this became a serious subject for us to discuss and pray about on a regular basis.
We wanted to discuss this whole idea with someone who knew this journey personally, and we knew just the people. Our friends Dave and Lizzy Canales had traveled this road only a couple years before us. Dave played football with Sean at APU (I was good friends with his wife Lizzy from APU as well) and at this point was just hired to be an administrative assistant at USC! They are incredible people, great friends and the perfect people for us to have such an important conversation with. We met them down at their place and went out to dinner on the Redondo pier. Over dinner we each got to ask a million questions about the whole ‘getting into coaching’ process and what their lives have been like since. All their insight was so honest, helpful and really encouraging. Lizzy and Dave made sure we understood that the road might not always be certain but that if it’s where God wants us, we were in good hands. They also assured us that Sean would be an awesome college football coach and I would be a great fit as a coaches wife.
On the drive back from their place, and ,well, over the next couple months we continued to talk and pray about all the pieces of this process. But from around this point on we knew the direction that we were going to be headed, and we couldn’t have been more excited. Ok and we were really scared at the same time. The excitement of chasing this dream was always accompanied by the ‘what-ifs’. What if we don’t have any money? What if we have to move to Nebraska? What if..What if..What if. Despite any of these questions that ran through my head, and all the emotions they brought with them, I never doubted that this is what we were supposed to be pursuing. Never.
At this point we told our families and a couple close friends about our new adventure. As would be expected, they all declared their love and support for us both and that they would be there for whatever we needed. From here we had to decide when was Sean’s time to step away from YoungLife. This was the really hard part. We have loved being a part of such an incredible ministry and were so blessed with the opportunity to actually be paid to love kids and to serve the Lord. However we knew that our decision to pursue football was an all or nothing choice, which meant that YoungLife just wasn’t in the picture any more. I do think that in many ways YoungLife has given Sean great tools and prepared him in many aspects for what lies ahead. But we wanted to pray fervently about the timing of this sad departure, so we took the time over the holidays to do just that and to talk to family.
After the holiday season Sean was scheduled to go to the National Coaching Convention in Orlando FL to strengthen and broaden his college football network. He went alongside Dave and some of the other coaches at USC and had a great time. He is so lucky he had a friend like Dave to go with and to introduce him to all his contacts. (I believe we are forever indebted to him and Lizzy for their help in this process) He met up with old connections and made lots of new ones. But more than anything I think the convention validated once and for all that college football is exactly where Sean wants to be and exactly where his heart has led him. He came home with a renewed sense of excitement and purpose. I loved it.
Unfortunately, that excitement was temporarily overshadowed by the looming idea of leaving YoungLife. We both knew it had to be done asap. Last week Sean met with his boss, more like his friend, Johnny and coworker, again more like a friend, Amy and told them he was going to be leaving YoungLife to pursue this football dream. He was overwhelmed by their understanding and compassion. They both admitted that they were sad to see Sean go but that their friendship remained as well as their unconditional support. It was a sad parting, for all.
Where does this leave us now? Sean has been hired as the receivers coach at Pasadena City College. It is a great first step towards where he wants to end up. They have a great program, as well as great coaches with many D1 football connections. It is a great place for him to be. He will be working alongside a friend who played a couple years ahead of Sean at APU. The downfall to starting out on the Junior College level is that it is only a stypen position, and it hardly pays anything. Ok, Almost nothing. But this is the sacrifice we knew we would have to make in the beginning of this journey to get to where we’re headed. Sean is in the process of trying to find a part time job that he can work from the morning until 2pm, before he has to be at PCC for football. (Please is you know of anything that might fit this description LET ME KNOW!) He is stressed about finding a job.
As for me I am also in need of a job. In order for us to make enough money to stay in our apartment and be able to pay bills I had to leave my job with the church and am looking for something full time. It’s a big change for me. And to be honest I am really quite nervous. I have never had a full time 8am-6pm kind of job. I coached club soccer when I was younger, I have worked in ministry and taught preschool. I’m not sure if any of those things have prepared me or given me the confidence to work in any kind of ‘corporate’ setting. However I do know that that I have many skills and talents that will give me what I need to succeed in almost any setting. I just need the opportunity to do so. (Any one know of a good company to work for? Any job openings? LET ME KNOW)
Wow. What a whirlwind. A year ago I would have never expected that we would be where we are today. Life is crazy like that. I suspect that in the college football world this might be the case for years to come. The uncertainties will always be present. With uncertainties come fear and anxiety. However the certainties in my life with always reign: I believe in a God that will never leave me and who provides me with all that I need. I have a husband who loves me exponentially and who I can walk with through whatever life throws at us. I have a family who is a constant foundation of love and support. I have friends that I can turn to who will walk along side me through anything. Those certainties will always outweigh the uncertainties. Always.
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New challenges. New journey. Here we go….
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My prayer for Sean and I as we continue this journey- Philippians 4:11-13
“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Contrary to the way the title of this post sounds, I do not in fact know/own an actual hobo. (was that in bad taste? my apologies) The Hobo I speak of is actually the brand of my new wallet/clutch; Hobo International to be exact. It was a gift from my Mommy for Christmas. I have always wanted one but they tend to cost a little more money than I personally am willing to spend on a wallet. But that’s what gifts are good for right? To get things you might not otherwise buy for yourself.
I have always been on the hunt for a great wallet. And have always fallen short. I tend to just settle and buy something cheap that half way fits my needs or my liking. But after receiving and using this Hobo wallet I shall need/want no more. (Well maybe I will want another one later down the line ) It is a great size, small enough to stick in my purse (even though my purse at the moment is large enough to fit a small child) and just large enough to carry on it’s own as a clutch. It has plenty of compartments to store lots of cash and change(because I have so much. haha), many card slots and space for any other small items. And it’s a bright sunshine-y yellow and has a great quilted pattern on it.
Without further ado, meet my hobo….
Sitting here on yet another lazy rainy day, doing laundry and lounging with my sweet doggy, I thought I would list out a couple of my favorite hair and makeup products. It’s kinda random I guess but here ya go….
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{MAKEUP PRODUCTS}
*MAC- almost ALL my makeup is MAC. It holds a special place in my heart. I could name a million of their products that I love but I will pick my ‘I can’t do without’ list.
*MAC Plush Lash mascara $13- it’s huge fluffy brush with 2 flat edges makes it easy to get every part of your lashes from root to tip giving them tons of volume.
*MAC Paint Pot in ‘Painterly’ and ‘Groundwork’ $16.50- A Creamy eye shadow base. I put it on my lid before I put on any kind of shadow. It makes shadow colors more vibrant and helps them stay put longer. And it will last you forever!
*MAC Power Point Eye pencil in ‘Grey Utility’ $14.50- Waterproof smooth liner. I love it in this deep grey.
* MAC Eyeshadow in ‘Kid’ $14.50- If I had to wear one eye shadow for the rest of my life it may be this one. Ok maybe that’s a little dramatic but this is my ‘go to’ shadow. It’s a beige with a little bit of a deep pink undertone as it goes on. It’s a great everyday look.
*MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in ‘Feelin Good’ $14.50- You will always find one of these in my purse. It has a little tint of color but more than anything it moisturizes my super-dry lips and has SPF 15 to protect them. This is another MAC product that will last forever too(really almost all their stuff does!).
*Sonia Kashuk Lip Crayon $8- I am not a big lipstick wear-er. While often having dry lips I find them to be quite crusty and unnatractive on me. These Lip crayons are a different story. They go on smooth, are easy to apply and leave a nice satin finish. ( And I don’t find really any difference between these and Bobbi Brown’s version for $22.)
*Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil $19- I don’t use powder on my face, one because it causes me to break out and two because it tends to look a bit cakey on me. I use a combo of a light Loreal foundation and a bit of Bare Escentuals foundation. The mineral veil goes on as a top coat. I love how well it sets, how light it is and that it helps make the rest last longer.
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{HAIR PRODUCTS}
*Bumble and bumble- I use a ton of different Bb. products and they really are quite expensive but they tend to last and there really are no products that compare in my eyes. I have crazy thick and unruly hair and these products help me manage the mane! These Bb products are my faves:
*Bb. Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner $55 for 1Litre- treats hair as well as protect the color
*Bb. Tonic Lotion $18 for 8oz- spray on damp hair to prep hair for styling and detangle
*Bb. Styling Lotion $23 for 8oz- goes on damp hair after Tonic to nourish and prep hair for heated tools and a great blowout
*Bb. Straight $25 for 5oz- goes on damp hair after Tonic and Styling lotion to help relax curls before blow drying and straightening
*Rockaholic: Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo $18- I mentioned that I have crazy hair and it’s actually quite curly although I never really wear it that way. Because it is SO thick, curly and has a mind of it’s own it takes me forever to blow-dry and straighten my hair. For that reason I tend to go a few days between washes. My sister bought this for me a while back and I became addicted. You spray this product on your roots in the areas that tend to grease up (gross!)to help make your blowout last longer.
*Big Sexy Hair ‘What a Tease’- Backcomb in a bottle. This is so great on those days when my hair decides all of a sudden it wants to plaster itself to my head or for a night out with extra big hair. You spray just a bit of this on pieces of hair around the crown of your head and backcomb. It gives great lift.
I am so excited to share with you all these great EASY recipes that I tried in the past week and liked SO much!..bare with me because there are lots of recipes and tons of pictures for this one so this may be a lengthy post.
(p.s. I am listening to the Hope for Haiti Now album as I write and I love it, well most all of it)
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spaghetti with artichoke hearts and tomatoes
This recipe comes from a blog that I follow called ‘The Pioneer Woman‘. The “Pioneer Woman” who writes it is a city girl who ended up marrying a full blown cowboy and now resides on a ranch in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. She shares her take on cooking, photography, home and garden and other fun stuff. I just really like her straight shooter, corky style As you might imagine lots of her recipes are prepared for cowboys so they are quite hearty with a good amount of meat but she has some great light meals too, this being one of those.
prep time: 15mins cook time: 30mins Serves: 6
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter **I used Earth Balance natural butter spread
- 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
- ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream **I used the healthier alternative non-fat evaporated milk
- ½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
- ½ teaspoons Nutmeg **I didn’t add this
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped **Didn’t have these on hand
1) Cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2) Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3) Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
4) Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
5) Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
**At this point while I was letting this heat through I walked out into the living room to find Sean and Eric playing, of all things, ice skating on our Wii. lol. Should I be worried?!
6) Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan.
7) Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.
It was so light and creamy and DELICIOUS! I loved the chunks of artichoke hearts in there. I also like to add a dash of red pepper flakes to my personal bowl of pasta for an extra kick.
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homemade croutons
This recipe is SO stinkin easy. It comes from the book ‘Skinny Bitch in the Kitch’. haha. I know I know. It is the recipe version of the book Skinny Bitch. The book has some helpful points about the chemical ridden things we eat, some of it is quite over the top but the general idea of the book s good I guess. Basically we just need to be really aware of what we are putting in our bodies. The recipe book is pretty good. It gives vegan alternatives to our favorite dishes. Some don’t sound too appetizing but others I have tried are quite good. This is one of the good ones.
Here’s what you need:
- 3-4 slices of a multi-grain loaf.
- 2 Tablespoons of Safflower Oil or Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence (a nice mixture of spices)
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1) chop slices of bread into 1/2 inch cubes
2) Throw bread cubes into a bowl and toss with oil and all spices.
3) spread cubes out onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 7 mins then pull them out, toss them and put them back in for 8 more mins. (or until brown and crispy)
4) Let cool and serve on your fave salad!
I am a sucker for herb croutons and these are crunchy goodness! The last time I made them I put in a tad less of the herbes de provence and salt because I found it to be a little too much. I served them on a cesar salad when I made the above pasta.
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spiced pita chips
This is an Ellie Krieger recipe, host of Food Network’s ‘Healthy Appetite’. I am always looking for good tasting and good for you snack food to have in the house but it’s hard to find many that meet both criteria. This one does it for me.
Cook time: 15 mins
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 whole-wheat pitas, cut into 1/8’s
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1) Combine olive oil and all spices in a large bowl.
2) Add pita wedges and toss to coat
3) Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, tossing once, or until pita is brown and crisp.
That’s it! So fast and simple. Because of the cayenne pepper they have quite a kick to them. If you’re opposite of me and are not a fan of spicy you might want to put less CP in. Throw these in a baggie and enjoy them on the run!
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homemade granola bars
I really hate walking into the cereal aisle to look for granola bars and realizing that so many of them are not so great for you. They always have lots of crazy stuff in them. By me making my own I can know exactly what’s in them. I found a couple recipes but decided on this one from Ina Garden, host of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. I changed the recipe a bit depending on what we had around but it turned out great.
Cook time: 40mins Yield: 12-16 bars
- 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup sliced almonds **I used 1/2 cup of each almonds and pecans
- 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ ** I didn’t use this because I think it tastes funny
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ** I used a bit less
- 2/3 cup honey ** I used half honey and half Agave Nectar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates **didn’t have these
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots ** didn’t have these
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries **I used Craisins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1) Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
2) Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Pull out and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
3) Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute.
4) Pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add whatever dried fruit you’re using and stir well.
5) Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown.
6) Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares (more like rectangles).
I cut mine up and placed them in baggies.
These turned out quite delicious! Next time I make them I’m going to try to use a little less brown sugar and even a little less butter. The honey/agave gave it great moisture and sweetness already. We’ll see how it goes. But this was another great recipe to bag up for a day on the go.
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Let me know if you try any of these recipes. Tell me what you thought or any good adjustments you made!
I won’t attempt to describe how devastating and horrific the effects of the earthquake were, and continue to be. I won’t even attempt to describe the emotions that overwhelm me when I think of, or pray for, the Haitian people. I will however tell you how moved I am by the efforts of our country to reach out and aid this distraught country. It’s interesting how it takes something like this to happen for people to ignore petty differences and stand together for a common cause. Maybe ‘interesting’ isn’t the right word, how about ‘unfortunate’. These kinds of united acts give me a glimmer of hope for our country. Don’t get me wrong there is SO much that is ugly, wrong and evil about our world, but I like to cling to hope instead.
Last night there was a telethon to raise money for Haiti called “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief”, which was broadcast live from LA, New York and London. The money raised went to support Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation, and the newly formed Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation.
Sean and I were captivated from the moment we turned it on. I thought it was a very moving and well put together program. Celebrities answered phone calls from generous callers giving whatever they could, other celebrities stood to tell inspiring tales from Haiti while encouraging watchers to give, and talented artists gave incredible performances. Anderson Cooper had several touching segments, while reporting live from Port-au-Prince, as he sat with a couple children that were safely pulled from the rubble days before.
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Especially after Sean working in a ministry where his salary’s earned by donations alone, I know that EVERY bit counts when it comes to raising money. And this cause is no different. Think if everyone were to give only $10, what an impact that would make. $10 is a couple trips to Starbucks or a night at the movies, we can do without. And they make it so easy for you to give:
*Call 1-877-99-HAITI
*Go to hopeforhaitinow.org
*Or you can do what Sean and I did and simply text the word GIVE to 50555 and your $10 donation will be added to your phone bill. 
YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
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I need to mention again how amazing some of the musical performances were. There is an album for sale on iTunes containing all 20 performances for $7.99, and all proceeds go directly to the cause. I ordered it on the spot and have already listened to it twice since then. I’ll post a couple videos below of my favorites…
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