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What I've Been Eating Lately

1/26/2015

Well, hello there! How are you? How's life? But most importantly...do tell me about the best thing you've had to eat or drink lately.

And since I'm in the sharing mood myself, here is just a quick roundup of some tasty tidbits I have been enjoying as of late. Special treats, everyday favorites, and some new recipes that my stomach gives two big thumbs up!

Thank you to the fellow food bloggers out there that have been sharing your new creations in the kitchen. I know one of my personal favorite things about being a food blogger is feeling like I'm getting that chance of a special moment that is sharing food with others.

I think I heard a phrase at one point that spoke of how people may speak different languages, but we all understand the language of food. And the bonds, the special memories, that can be created from those times of "breaking bread" with others, so to speak.

If you're reading this, I'm happy to be "breaking bread" with you today.

On to the food.

Daily oatmeal
A regular breakfast favorite of mine. Even when I go without my daily oatmeal for a while like on vacation I still come back to it. I just can't go long without my oats.

I typically start with a base of regular rolled or quick oats, water, almondmilk, sprinkle of sea salt, and stevia.
My favorite add-ins include flaxseed, vanilla extract, maca powder, Skoop protein powder, cinnamon, PB2 powder, unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin and a swirl of grape or strawberry jam. Sometimes I go crazy and add all of these in at once.

Panera pickles
At my job, we host events for corporate clients and they occasionally like to bring in catering. Upon this occasion, Panera bread was the caterer and the company offered all of us workers at my job the extras from lunch. I spotted a giant leftover box of pickles and had to partake. Panera pickles are pretty awesome, in my personal opinion. So I snagged about 25 of them in a plastic bag to take home. No shame.

And just in case you're wondering, no I am not pregnant.

Hello Cocoa Winter Wonderland chocolate bar
Ever since hearing about a local chocolate company called Hello Cocoa, I have been wanting to try their products. ALL of their products. And then maybe go back for seconds and thirds. Not only am I all about supporting a local company but I'm also all about some good quality chocolate.

This particular Winter Wonderland bar I won through my blogger buddy, Lyndi's blog, Nwafoodie.

And in the next couple of weeks YOU might just be given a chance to win some of the Hello Cocoa products to try for yourself! I have been talking with the Hello Cocoa team and look forward to visiting their business and seeing how they produce their chocolate bars in person! We have talked about collaborating for a giveaway for my readers, particularly for an upcoming Valentine's Day treat.

So...STAY TUNED!!

Lots of Love Grown Foods Power O's
One of my favorite nightly snacks! Especially after reading the ingredients list, you'll see why I really do pour all of my heart into the love I show to one of my favorite food companies. Love Grown Foods is where it's at.

If you follow me on instagram you might have seen this bowl of Honey and Chocolate Power O's I shaped into a heart on National Hug Day.

Recipes tried and enjoyed lately:

Healthy Vegetarian Corn Chowder via Housewife Glamour
My parents and I both approved of this vegetarian version of a corn chowder, first created by Heather from Housewife Glamour.

Sweet Potato Spinach Mac 'n' Cheese via Running to the Kitchen
If you're craving a healthier, lighter mac 'n' cheese, try this one. You won't be disappointed. I want to make this again soon.

Source

Baked Coconut Shrimp via Lushious Eats
The first time I tried this recipe I used sweetened coconut flakes because it was all I had on hand. The second time I tried it I used unsweetened coconut flakes.

I actually preferred the sweetened coconut flakes just because I felt like the unsweetened coated shrimp needed SOMETHING a little extra for taste. Maybe a light dipping sauce? Might try that next time! Either way, I will probably make this again.

Source

Forkfuls of Maple Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Cannot get enough. One of my favorite staple sides I make over and over again to go with my meals.

Handfuls of 2-ingredient Cherry Vanilla Popcorn
Did you know popcorn is actually a 100% whole grain? Yep. That means it's a good-for-you snack, so long as you keep the toppings light.

When I discovered I could flavor the popcorn naturally using the brown bag in the microwave method and NuNaturals flavored syrups...I felt like a true mad genius in the kitchen. I highly recommend any NuNaturals products, guys. And I'm not even getting paid to say that. I just really love the company and it's products.

Linking up with Katie at Healthy Diva Eats for a Marvelous Monday and What I Ate Wednesday over at Peas and Crayons

Also linking up with Heather at Housewife Glamour for Friday Favorites

Your turn! What is the best thing you've eaten lately?

Any favorite recipes you'd like to share?

What's your favorite chocolate company or chocolate bar flavor?

Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins

1/12/2015

These vegan-friendly banana blueberry muffins are the perfect treat to prep ahead of time on the weekend to savor throughout the rest of your week. They work easily as a breakfast, snack, or dessert option.

vegan blueberry muffins recipe, enticing healthy eating

Before I get to these fluffy little delights that are my newest sweet creation to come out of the kitchen, I must first saying a giant THANK YOU to everyone for the congratulatory messages and comments on my big news I had to share with you on my recent engagement this past week!

Wade and I are so appreciative of the love! Big hugs to you all!

Source

Back to the featured recipe of this post--the vegan banana blueberry muffins. First, a little bit of a back story as to how these muffins came about.

It all started with a mission.

I am saying goodbye, adios, and sayonara to most packaged and processed foods for an entire month. So long to white flours and white sugars.

Source

But fear not! This blog will not be changing up it's usual tendency towards healthy and wholesome foods. And I am most certainly not going vegan or vegetarian. My good friend and I decided a couple months ago that we would both like to do a little experimenting with our diets by cutting out overly processed foods and extra sugars to give our digestive systems a gentle cleansing, so to speak.

The beginning of the new year usually marks a time for diet overhauls for many folks looking to kickstart healthier lifestyle habits. Originally, my buddy and I had planned on trying out paleo for a month.

But...lets' just say I think we both came to the conclusion that we are far too addicted to our favorite go-to breakfasts during these colder months: oatmeal. That and the fact that we both thought as long as we just stuck to 100% whole grains for our new month-long diet, we'd be on the right page.

Therefore we have decided to call this little experiment the Real and Whole Foods Diet!

The main things we will be cutting out of our diet (as strictly as we possibly can) for a month include:
--white, refined flours
--white, refined sugars (cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, etc.)
--most packed and processed foods with unnecessary, added ingredients
--alcohol

Doesn't sound too bad, right? I generally eat a real and whole foods based diet anyways. It's the little snacks and treats here and there that throw me off. The random cookies my coworker brings into work...that piece of candy leftover from Christmas just calling my name...

But I just want to give my body a long break from the added sugars and unnecessary treats when I know I could be snacking on some healthier options.

I'm looking forward to this! I think my body will thank me. I bet you could do it too!

Our diets are officially starting on January 12 and we have planned to *strictly* continue them until February 12. Just in time before Valentine's Day, which we all know is typically a holiday celebrated with some special meal splurges. I'm looking forward to having a glass of wine and some indulgent dessert on that holiday weekend.

Plus Wade and I have our first engagement party on that same weekend. So excited!

To give you some inspiration, I thought I'd share with you one of the sweet treats I managed to whip up that fit perfectly into our month-long diet overhaul. I knew the desserts and sweet snacks would be the toughest things to try and replace for the both of us. I, admittedly, have a sweet tooth that could rival a whole classroom full of first graders during their Halloween party at school.

I stumbled upon this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod's blog featuring some vegan banana blueberry muffins. Because I hardly ever follow a recipe exactly, I felt the need to experiment and come up with my own version.

For these muffins I used a mixture of white whole wheat flour, ground oat flour (which is just rolled oats ground into a fine powder in a food processor), and ground flaxseed. If you wanted to try exclusively using white whole wheat flour and just cutting out the oat flour and flaxseed, please do! Use whatever you have on hand. The oat flour and flaxseed just add more good-for-you nutrients than simply using white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.

For the bananas, I had some frozen, overripe bananas I just thawed and mashed. The more ripe the banans, the sweeter the muffins will be. As for the dates, I soaked them in water for roughly 30 minutes before chopping them up because it creates more of a date "paste" before adding to the mixture.

Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins

*adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins*

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground oat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
4 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup stevia
3 dates, pitted, soaked in water, finely chopped into "paste" texture
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened almondmilk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I use Molina brand)
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or lightly spray muffin pan(s) with coconut oil.

In medium sized bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, oat flour, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Peel and mash bananas in a large bowl. Add in stevia, chopped date "paste", melted coconut oil, unsweetened almondmilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together until well incorporated--roughly 30 seconds-min. Really whisk it! Put some effort into it!

Gently mix dry ingredients into large bowl of wet ingredients just until completely combined. Fold in blueberries. Fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way full with mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean.

Linking up with Delicious Dish Tuesday

And my blogger buddy, Heather, over at Housewife Glamour for Friday Favorites!

http://housewifeglamour.com/beauty/friday-favorites-72-week-of-116/

What type of diet do you follow right now? Have you experimented with many diets? Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Atkins, etc.?

D you have a favorite healthy baked sweet treat you have made before?

And They Lived Happily Ever After

1/6/2015

If you hadn't already seen my announcement on instagram or hadn't heard from a little birdie, there has been some BIG news in my life recently. Of the shiny type that may fit onto my finger...

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after

But let me rewind a bit and give you the short, sweet, to-the-point recap of my time spent in Austin, Texas with Wade.

I was hoping the trip to Austin we had planned for our only little mini vacation to celebrate New Year's together would be a great one. A memorable one. And boy, was it!

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, i love you so much graffiti

The only negative to our entire trip was the awful weather. We had planned on traversing down South to Texas to find warmer weather to escape from this slap in the face that Winter has hit us with so far in Arkansas.

That didn't happen.

The weather every day was rainy, drizzling, misty, and/or just overall very abnormally cold for Austin this time of the year. It didn't help that most people we came into contact with who had lived in Austin for a while kept telling us "It's NEVER like this here! This weather is crazy!" Thanks for reminding us...

BUT! Our time spent together was much to be enjoyed. The city brought to us many adventures, new things to see, and of course the food did not disappoint. There was not one bad meal we had during our stay the whole 5 1/2 days in Austin. Our taste buds were tempted with new, quirky dishes and flavor combinations I had never dreamed of being put on a plate together.

Here's just a short recap of some of the highlights of our favorite Austin bites:

Our first meal in Austin was lunch at the Magnolia Cafe in South Congress district. This was my meal--the black bean entree with a side house salad and cornmeal pancake.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, magnolia cafe black bean entree

One evening for dinner we tried out the North by Northwest restaurant. Wade and I ordered the special of the evening--a bone-in pork chop with mushroom sherry sauce and our choice of sides.

The pork was fantastic, but I have to say it was the rolls as an appetizer before our meals that blew me away! These have got to be some of the best rolls I have ever had. Rosemary herbed rolls, I believe they were. I just called them little balls of heaven. I must try to recreate these at home.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, north by northwest, pork

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, north by northwest, rosemary rolls

With much discussion, Wade and I agreed that Gourdough's gets the gold medal for first place in our tasty bites in Austin. It was also the most unexpectedly delicious meal!

When you're sitting in what looks to be a sports bar with multiple TV's with the volume turned up to the max for football bowl games, a huge bar taking up most of the restaurant space...you don't really expect a 5 star meal.

This was an occasion where you do not judge a book by it's cover. Gourdough's is known for it's donut desserts and entrees. Yep, donuts.

Wade opted for the Mother Clucker (yes, that's what it was called). Fried chicken on top of a sweet, honey glazed donut. And a side of fried okra.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, gourdough's public house, mother clucker

While my decision of a lunch entree was definitely out of the ballpark for me. I hardly ever order soups at a restaurant. But the Grandma's Dumplin's sounded appealing with the dreary weather we had been experiencing. I don't know if my taste buds and soul had ever been so pleased with any other meal from a restaurant before. One of the best soups I've ever had in my life! And it came with a fried donut that tasted similar to garlic bread on the side.

The donut was fabulous. The soup was fabulous. Two, four, hell, I'd say a billion thumbs up to Gourdough's!

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, gourdough's public house, grandma's dumplins

On our last evening in Austin, we met up with a fellow healthy living blogger, Lauren, I had reached out to after I found out she had lived in Austin for a few months and was very happy to meet up in person during our visit!

You guys should definitely go check out her blog, The Bikini Experiment sometime. She has a lot of great healthy living tips. Lauren and her boyfriend, Scott, ended up recommending we try out the restaurant Vino Vino together.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, vino vino

Lauren and Scott were a delight to chat with at dinner! It's also nice to have a fellow blogger at the table who doesn't thinks it's strange you take pictures of your food AND even takes a few pictures herself. I hope we can visit them again in the future. If Wade and I end up moving to the Austin area, I'm sure we will meet up more often!

Dinner was, yet again, out of this world. Wade and I split a mixed greens salad, candied pork belly, and a grilled pork chop with a bacon succotash. Wonderful evening with friends and food.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, vino vino, candied pork belly, grilled pork chop

Now for the big news. So I can save you all from sitting on the edge of you seats, I'm sure.

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

Little did I know, when Wade and I had planned on taking a tour of the Blanton museum near the University of Texas campus, that Wade had been planning a special something on his own.

One of the art pieces we came upon took up an entire room. It is titled "Missions". 600,000 pennies, 800 communion wafers, 2,000 cattle bones, 80 paved stones, and black cloth surrounding the exhibit make up this art piece. It was beautiful. Just the way the light shone off the sea of pennies and reflected upwards onto the hanging cattle bones was enough to make you stare.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, missions

While gazing upon the pennies, standing on the paving stones surrounding the piece and inside of the black cloth frame, Wade got onto one knee and asked me to marry him.

Never did I ever imagine being proposed to inside of a museum, let alone in front of a giant sea of 600,000 pennies. He really surprised me and the entire moment could not have been more perfect.

I tried to not freak out, shout for joy, or do a crazy dance. Even with all of the joy built up inside of me! After all, we were in a pretty quiet museum with a few people around. Our moment was a private and memorable one and I'll have to admit shedding a happy tear or two.

We walked around the remainder of the museum holding hands and ended at the gift shop which is where I began spreading the news to my parents and then others. Followed by our first meal together as an engaged couple--lunch at Moonshine Grill.

austin texas, blanton museum, engaged, happily ever after, moonshine grill, popcorn

At the beginning of the year, most of us make goals or resolutions we hope and plan to follow. Some of us look back on lessons learned in the previous year.

The main theme or words I could contribute to 2014 in my own life would be "letting go".

What I mean by this is letting go on trying to micro-control every aspect of my life. I've never been a patient person by nature, but these past 12 months basically forced me to let go of trying to control the future and just let be what will be.

I could not control that Wade moved away from my home back in June this past year, three hours away to start a job, and I knew I would not be following him.

I seemed to not be able to control my career and job opportunities and struggled for months to find something reasonable.

I had no control over my father being diagnosed with cancer.

But you know what? Stressing over those things I had no control over...it's just not worth it. Lesson learned. You cannot change certain situations or unexpected events that may occur in your life, but you can change the way you react and, most importantly, adapt to those situations.

2015 will be quite the year of change for me, I'm sure of it. Wade and I plan on moving to live together this Summer. It cannot come soon enough!

I do not know yet where we will be living. I have a wedding to plan in the near future. I have career changes ahead of me as well as new career goals and fields of study I'm looking into.

2014 was the year of Letting Go. But I believe 2015 will be my year of Transition. I'm ready.

P.S. Sorry if you now have the song "Let it Go" stuck in your head. Don't worry, I do too.

I’m linking up to Peas and Crayons today for her What I Ate Wednesday.

Also Linking up with Heather today for Friday Favorites

Ever been to Austin, TX? Do tell me about some of your favorite experiences if you have!

What would you choose to be your one word "theme" for the year 2015?

What I've Been Eating Lately

Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Banana Blueberry Muffins

And They Lived Happily Ever After

Happiness is Homemade

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