warning: disappointment ahead

Disappointments are at large right now. First and foremost, I won't be able to attend Healthy Living Summit as originally planned this weekend. It's an error on my part, actually. I was under the impression the Jimmy Buffet concert I go to every year with my parents was on August 28, not on August 14. Needless to say, I bought these tickets a year ago and my parents and the husband would be disappointed if I backed out. Alas, I will visit with my parrot head friends waving my fins to the left and right and perhaps befriending a son of a sailor. I will miss everyone who I was so excited about meeting though. There are a few of you who live in the area, so... meet up sometime soon? I would thoroughly enjoy that!

Breakfast started out this morning with a very pretty bowl of overnight oats. If you're new to the world of overnight oats, visit this girl or you can just follow my way without the chia seeds (because I just haven't dished out the dough for them yet).

In the bowl goes:

• 1/3 cup gluten free oats
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup h2o
• 1/2 smashed banana
• 1 tbsp. flax meal
• splash of vanilla

Let those ingredients mingle overnight. In the morning, add your favorite toppings!

Today, I went with blueberries, a strawberry star, coconut, cinnamon, and peanut butter. It was delicious!

I'm kind of like good ole George Washington, however, and I cannot tell a lie.

I pick the strawberries off and eat them on the side. I just can't do them in the oatmeal. It freaks me out. Are there any fruits you HAVE to eat plain?

After breakfast, I hit the gym for a sweaty strength training session. I was a little nervous today as I checked out my half marathon training schedule. It kind of fell to the wayside while the wedding was front and center. Apparently, I'm supposed to run ten, yes TEN, miles on Saturday morning. Words of encouragement are appreciated.. thanks.

After I got home from the gym, I was already hungry (seriously?) and snacked on an organic Turkish fig from Whole Foods - these are the best figs in the world.

I got ready really quick and headed to a place I have thought of not once this summer: school! Yes, if you are new around here, I am a teacher. Do I sometimes wish my job was to run, exercise, play housewife with my cooking and cleaning, and blog? Of course, but I digress.

I moved to a new school this year (same district, new school, different grade) and I had been feeling kind of bummed about it because all of my really good running friends teach at my old school. I also didn't know what the room situation would be like and if I would be able to organize all my materials for a new grade before the begining of the school year.

My fears were quickly pushed aside when I opened the filing cabinets and all the materials for the fifth graders were already organized and ready for my use! The teacher who retired had been teaching for 30 years, was very meticulous, and left EVERYTHING for me! I almost shed a happy tear. I will be there every day until the school year starts to continue setting up my classroom. I should just put up some caution tap before anyone tries to come in. It's that bad. I'm bringing in my niece and nephew tomorrow - what's the law on child labor laws? :)

While I was attempting to set up my classroom, I snacked on an apple and some almonds.

Around noon, I felt it was time to go to the teacher store to get some things and go home to eat lunch. I finally got home about 1:15 and whipped myself up a quick lunch. Leftovers are very necessary when I don't feel like cooking!

Up first: crackers, carrots, and hummus.

i'm kind of in love with this picture.

 Also on the menu was leftover mexican stoup from the other night. It may not look pretty, but it sure was delicious!

When I decided I was still hungry, I ate the rest of my chickpea dish from last night. Then some more crackers were consumed. Then some crackers were dipped in this bad boy.

so fresh and so clean

 These strawberry preserves are from the farm I am looking into getting a CSA from! They were so delicious. They will go fast!

I decided to make my own nut butter this afternoon on a whim. Cashmond butter to be exact. Anyone want to guess what nuts were in it?

Cashews and almonds!

If you have never made your own nut butter before and you own a processor, please take advantage of it. It is seriously the easiest thing ever! Throw some nuts in, grind for about 5 minutes, and you're done!

this one's a keeper

Another disappointment is up next.

Blogger won't let me upload two of my pictures! They keep telling me the "server rejected" them and to only use photos I have the liscence to use. Ummm... excuuuse me blogger! Those are liscense of Mrs. Chelsey!

Anyways, one was a very artsy pictures (which I was oh so proud of) of all the thank you cards I finished writing today and was about to send out.

Another was of the gluten free pizza I consumed for dinner. The husband and I went out for pizza with my parents this evening to a place that has gluten free pizza (obviously). I was skeptical yesterday when she asked I wanted to go because most gluten free pizza crusts have corn in them. However, I called the restaurant to see if they had corn in the crust and it didn't! It was thin crust with tons of veggies: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and broccoli. They held the cheese though. Have you ever had cheeseless pizza? I didn't even miss the cheese!

It was delicous.. and now my belly is too full for a snack. Well, maybe.

I'm off for some R&R with the husband.

I asked tons of questions in the post - answer whatever one sparks you the most!

happy birthday to me!

and to my wonderful dad!

Yes, we share a birthday! Every year I am told I "was the best birthday present" he had ever gotten. How nice, right? This afternoon was just lovely - I got to shower, do laundry, and start busting out some thank you cards for our wedding party. Perfect!

We went out for a celebratory dinner at Cooper's Hawk. It was my suggestion since they have a fabulous GF (gluten free) menu. Cooper's Hawk is, as described on their website:

"... a modern, casual restaurant with a menu created with our own handcrafted wines in mind. Start in our Napa style tasting room, where you can view our wineries and sample our winemaker's latest creations. Shop in our gift store for a unique food or wine related gift. Finish in our bar and restaurant to enjoy a delectable designed to pair our own award-winning wine for a food experience you won't soon forget."

pre dinner shoot in the car

This place was such a hit - with EVERYONE! There were nine of us, and we were seated in about 20 minutes, which is so great for a Friday night. Mommasita and I were the only ones who had been here before, and everyone else was excited to try it out. This is kind of an upscale restaurant, so I was a little worried about the kiddos being a little out of their element. However, we were seated in a quiet back room surrounded by barrels of wine (can you see them below?) and they had a great kid's menu/coloring sheet to keep them entertained!

dad looking cool in my aunt's reading glasses - yes, they are mutlicolored... and striped.

Everyone was having a difficult time deciding what to order. Honestly this menu can appeal to almost everyone! There is such variety. Just to give you an example, there was a steak/blue cheese salda ordered, jumbalaya, bacon burgers, portabello mushroom burgers - they also had pastas, seafood dishes, etc. on the menu!

the birthday buddies

Cooper's Hawk also caters to allergies very well. They have a separate kitchen in which they prepare all the food for people who have food related allergies. They also have a HUGE gluten free menu - I am not talking 4-5 dishes here people. They have over 2 pages of meals in which my gluten intolerant belly would be able to handle. Unfortunately, my vegetarianism limited me a little more. The last time I was at Cooper's Hawk I ordered a portabello mushroom sandwich and it was DIVINE! Whenever I am out and am able to order a sandwich, you better believe I will!

okay, so not my best look!

I am also corn intolerant, so I am wary of breads in general just in case some corn starch is hiding out in there. I had previously asked my server the last time if he could check the bread to make sure there were no corn products hiding in there. The manager was awesome and brought the package of bread out to the table so I could inspect it myself! Talk about having a peace of mind! It is so difficult to go out to eat with allergies, so it is helpful when the restaurant staff is as understanding as the staff at Cooper's Hawk.

a good pic of FH and me - these are hard to come by, so now I wish his hair was done :(

 I did not get any food pics, but I can assure you the food was divine. I started with a house salad with a garlic vinaigrette. My main course was sandwich, in which was a balsamic marinated portabella, roasted red pepper, lettuce, and walnut pesto! Good lord, if that is not a birthday feast, I just don't know what is! I got this meal along side some broccoli!

I thought of Katie on the way home from dinner. The sky was absolutey GORGEOUS, and she is always encouraging me (and others) to really revel in God's beauty. This sky was stunning, and I couldn't help but smile and thank God for such a perfect day with family and friends.

After dinner, we all went over to my and FH's pad for some birthday cake! I stuck with a minimal amount of candles... if we did my 23 and dad's 59 I think we might have burned down the house.

yours truly was the chef of this layer cake (devil's food with chocolate fudge frosting per request of big daddy wayne)

 I was reminded today of why my family usually does not sing "Happy Birthday" very often - I'm pretty sure I heard some howling dogs outside after it was all said and done.

do you see the wincing on my face? it was kind of painful!

i didn't think it could get worse.. but it did. notice big daddy wayne's face.

i don't remember what i wished for... world peace, perhaps?

we are definitely a pair of hams

these two are peas in a pod - i am so glad FH and BIL get along so well!

more interested in ice cream than cake!

I won't lie, I gave you a sneak peak at my house. Don't worry, a before and after post is coming TOMORROW! FH and I changed the date in which I am moving in to tomorrow instead of Sunday. He has to work for a couple of hours in the morning, so we are going hiking on Sunday after church instead! I am not going to lie, it is kind of bittersweet to be spending my very last night at home in my childhood house! So weird..when am I actually going to FEEL like a grown up?

When I got home from the house (which we both said when we were leaving it felt weird to be "leaving our house to sleep somewhere else") I made myself my own birthday treat.

chocolate protein muffin, vanilla coconut milk ice cream, pb spoon

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and love -you guys rock!!! I love you all!

Question: What is your favorite (or memorable) childhood moment? I'll share mine at the beginning of my post tomorrow!!!

vegan blueberry oatmeal muffins

I woke up with one thing on my mind today - blueberry muffins! I had bought a huge container of blueberries last weekend and I wanted to use them all up before they went bad on me. I got out of bed at 6:30 and got to work! There's something that I love about working in the kitchen early in the morning before anyone else gets up for the day. It's quiet, clean, and I can just be by myself. I also have a love for Sunday mornings - I love getting the newspaper and getting all the coupons and ads out! It has become quite the tradition.

Whenever I make something, I always look at a bunch of recipes, mix them together, and change them to meet my dietary needs. So I wish I could direct you to a recipe I followed, but I really don't follow recipes for the most part.

These are vegan and gluten free! They are also very very delicious!

Over-the-Top Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins (V, GF)

What you'll need:

• 1.25 cups gluten free oats (regular oats would also work just fine)
• 1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 tbsp baking soda (you could also use 1 tbsp baking powder, but I cannot due to corn starch)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (or any sugar/sweetener of your choice)
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

How it's done:

1. Mix the flour, flax seed, oats, and baking soda together in a large bowl
2. Mix the almond milk, applesauce, vanilla, and agave nectar together in another separate bowl
3. Slowly stir the wet and dry ingredients together until they are well blended
4. Fold in the fresh blueberries
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees

These were so simple to make! My family said they weren't as sweet as they normally like muffins to be, so if you like things on the sweeter side, I would reccomend adding more agave to the mix. I, however, do not really eat sugar, so sweets send me through the roof!

doesn't it look good?

My breakfast consisted of one muffin, a pink lady apple, and about 1.5 tbsp peanut butter.

I then went to church and came home and enjoyed another muffin and some crackers with hummus! My mom and I went grocery shopping - I swear we have a problem buying food. We always say we "don't really need much" but come home with way too many bags! I just love food too much. We went to Trader Joe's, Costco, and Jewel! Yes, we are multiple grocery store kind of people.

When we came home I made us a quick snack plate as it was almost already 2 pm.

That plate looks really small, but it's actually a huge dinner plate! Spinach salad, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, and a banana on the side!

After we ate, I went over to FH's for a bit to partake in some very exciting work (think bills and check writing), and then we went out for a treat! We went to go see Toy Story 3!

My favorite is Rex - Which character is your favorite?

This movie was beyond great. Does it seem weird that a movie about toys made me cry? I love the Pixar animated movies. They are great for kids, but the humor in it is definitely geared towards adults. If you loved the first two movies, you definitely need to go see the third one. We went and saw it in 3-D, but to be perfectly honest with you, it wasn't worth the money. I might be biased because I really am not a fan of 3-D as it gives me massive headaches. But, there was nothing really "3-D"'ish about the movie. It's just more "enhanced".

When I got home, it was way past my dinner time. I am not someone you want to be around when I am hungry. From the time I was really little, if I was tired or hungry, I was super crabby. There is nothing I hate more than the feeling of being hungry. I become snappy, impatient, and can't think of anything else! Needless to say, I needed something quick and simple to get me through round one of dinner. I threw together some sauteed veggies and brown rice - almost the same combo as Friday night. I did throw some grape tomatoes into the mix this time instead of the stewed tomatoes.

The flavors were awesome. I am loving my basil plant - it has gotten so big! I have to take an updated picture tomorrow. The grape tomatoes were a great idea - they popped in my mouth and were all warm and liquidy. Absolutely perfect!

I hope you all have had a great weekend - it's time for me to get my snack on though and catch up with you all!

Question: What is your disposition like when you are hungry? Are you able to work past it or are you a total crab monster (like me)?

vegan zucchini pancakes

The Goods:

• 1 cup flour (Bob's Red Mill gluten free)
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp agave
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups zucchini, grated
• 3 flax eggs (3 tbsp flax & 9 tbsp water mixed together - let sit for 2 minutes)
• garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, salt, garlic, pepper, salt)
2. Mix "wet ingredients" (zucchini, flax eggs, salt)
3. Preheat griddle to medium heat (spray with olive oil or cooking spray first)
4. Drop 1/4 cup servings onto griddle. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes before flipping (you will see browning around the edges). Cook another 2-3 minutes.
5. Voila! Enjoy with sour cream (if you're not lactose or vegan), applesauce, or ketchup!
   

They are just itching to be mixed.

flax eggs

zucchini grater - I used about 1.5 HUGE zucchinis to get 3 cups

Feeling the heat

All done and ready to be eaten!

I loved the color of this pancake! Tiny flax seed meal and zucchini can be seen. Awesome.

"almost fallafel" chickpea balls

You will most definitely want to keep reading if you would like to find out how to go from this:

can of chickpeas

to THIS:

"almost fallafel" chickpea balls with tahini sauce drizzle

"almost fallafel" chickpea balls

• 1 can chickpeas drained (reserve about 1-2 tbsp liquid)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp flour (I used all purpose GF)
• 2 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• cumin & pepper to taste

1. Drain the chickpeas, but set aside about 1-2 tbsp of the liquid. Mash your chickpeas with a potato masher - or you may use your food processor to get them more smooth.
2. Chop your onion and garlic, add all of your spices
3. Add the reserved liquid and flour
4. Form into approximately 10 balls
5. Spritz your frying pan with olive oil - preheat pan to medium heat
6. Cook chickpea balls until brown on all sides (kind of like making meatballs on the stove top)
7. serve with tahini sauce drizzle

Tahini Sauce Drizzle

• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• approximately 3 tbsp water (just enough to thin it out to your liking)
• lots of garlic and pepper

Combine all ingredients and enjoy served over "almost fallafel" chickpea balls.

chopped onion


pre-cooked fallafel balls

money shot

browning evenly on all sides

You know these bad boys are screaming EAT ME!

"almost fallafel" chickpea balls served with a side salad and balsamic vinaigrette

If you have never tried capers, I suggest going and getting some.

This was a great alternative for someone (like me) who cannot have "regular" fallafel. I really enjoyed EVERYTHING about this lunch. It was so pretty - fresh ingredients and so many colors!

Garage saling was an epic fail - I try really hard to get into garage sales, but I just can't ever bring myself to buy anything. I did, however, find blank cards from Target for fifty cents! I write a lot of cards - thank yous, notes to students, friends, etc. - so those will come in handy! I tried sitting outside this afternoon, but it is just far too hot outside. Guess it's an inside day for me!

I am going to a Father's Day brunch on Sunday - does anyone have a good vegan breakfast casserole I could bring? and What are you getting your dad for Father's Day?

Happy Blogday to Me!

After months of reading blogs and religiously following many of you (kind of weird and creepy, I know) I decied it was time for my very own blog. So, happy blogday to me!

This morning, I was up at 5:30 - who does that? Especially since I am a teacher and I can lay in bed if I want to during the summer. Oh well - I read in bed (Rainwater by Sandra Brown - really good!) until about 6:30 when my stomach rumblings told me it was definitely time for breakfast. Breakfast is unpictured (I didn't create this lovely page until right before lunch), but I had a bowl of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free oats (gluten free is only one of my awesome intolerances).

My bowl contained: 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 smashed naner, 1/2 cup water - toppings were: flax, cinnamon, blackberries, and a pb spoon. Delicious! What is your favorite oatmeal combo?

After breakfast, I went out for a run. My hip and knee have been bothering me the past couple of days, so I wasn't planning on going that long. It was nice out though (only around 65) so it was perfect running weather! I ended up running about 7 miles in just over an hour. I decided it was a good thing I got in a long run today because it's supposed to get really hot tomorrow and for the rest of the week.

After I got back from my run, I attempted my first green monster (again, unpictured - sorry!). However, my green monster was... PURPLE! I guess I used too many berries in there. It was a mixture of spinach, ice, almond milk, raspberries, and blackberries. It was good, but the little tiny seeds from the blackberries kept getting stuck in my teeth. Gross.

After that, I got into my car and drove to my second home these days....

Happy driver!

Home Depot!

Yes, that would be my second home. I had to go pick out our carpet. Word to the wise: NEVER, I repeat, NEVER plan a wedding and renovate a house at the same time. Although we're knocking it all out at once, it is really stressful. It is a good thing I am off during the summer - my poor hunny is working like a dog running his landscaping business all day and renovating at night!

bottom left (I think?) was the decision!

Possible new mirror? Maybe not though - I would like something a little more decorative for the bathroom.

When I got home, I was STARVING! It must have been that long run I did earlier. I started with some fresh spinach I got yesterday from the farmer's market (which, by the way, there is only a handful left. How did I eat an entire bag in 18 hours?)

Sauteed the spinach with some mushrooms and olive oil...

and topped it off with a lentil recipe I made last night which I modified from Emily .

Total. Domination.

An after lunch snack consisting of almond, an organic turkish fig, and Trader Joe's All Fruit Ends and Pieces (so good !).

After that, it was time to head up to the house! We're almost ready to put down the floor we bought, but before we put it down we have to clean! I swept for a total of 3 hours - it was so dusty and I was really looking like a mess when I finally got back home.

Cloud of death on the way back to my parents' house. Seriously?