October 24, 2016

Whole 30 Snack Ideas (30 of them!)

I’m a snacker. Always have been. Always will be.

Instead of reaching into the carby snack drawer at 3pm or 10am, I reworked my routine and learn how to make better choices.

Here’s a list for you- Whole 30 Snack Ideas! I came up with THIRTY OF THEM!

These are some of the things I ate instead of CHIPS, CRACKERS, CHEESE.

1. Apples + Lime

One of my favorite snacks of all time. Lime juice makes apple slices taste AMAZING and it also protects the apples from browning.

2. Plantain Chips + Salsa

I read a post that said plantain chips from Trader Joe’s are whole30 compliant. I immediately went out and bought some. They’re strangely good. The trick is to not eat too many of them.

3. Plantain Chips + Guacamole

Especially difficult when guacamole is involved! This is a great option if you have to bring yourself a snack for a party.

4. Mixed Nuts + Salami

A winning combination. Really good for the afternoon slump when you need a bit of protein to power through. You have to make sure you find compliant salami.

5. Frozen Peaches

I have become obsessed with frozen peaches. I will eat a whole bowl of them at night for dessert or in the afternoon when I need a pick me up. It’s impossible to eat them very fast and I like that the coldness slows me down.

6. Banana Apple Almond Butter Bowl

This is one of my favorite combinations right now. It’s now become one of my go-to breakfasts. I cut up bananas and apples and drizzle almond butter on top. I finish with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes. The textures are really good together. I love it.

7. Apples + Cinnamon

Another winning combo if your sweet tooth is ACTIVATED.

The cinnamon brings the sweetness out in the apple.

8. Avocado Sushi Bites

Seaweed with avocado, carrots and sesame seeds with hot sauce. Sriracha has sugar in it 🙁 So you could use wasabi for some kick.

Really good if you’re craving sushi. Add some fish or cucumber!

9. Ants on a Log

You can have any nut butter that’s not peanut butter on Whole30. Here I made the classic ants on a log with celery, almond butter & raisins. Hello, childhood snack.

10. Salt & Vinegar Potato Salad

It’s awesome that you can have potatoes on whole30.

Here’s my salt & vinegar potato salad. I add herbs to make it even more flavorful.

11. Broccolini Salad

If you ever have any leftover vegetables, eat them as a salad. Here I tossed broccolini with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper. If you let it sit overnight the vegetables will soak up the vinegar. It’s sooooo good. I also do this with green beans and regular broccoli.

12. Sweet Potato Banana Bowl

This is another great breakfast option. Take a baked potato and fill it with sliced bananas, almond butter and finish with cinnamon. I’d throw in some coconut if I was you.

my everyday life, Photography

October 23, 2016

My Everyday Life: Week 42

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life : Week 42

On the last day of the Whole 30, I drove myself to Muir Woods.

I needed to give my brain some space to think. Process and be quiet.

It was a cold crisp morning. The tourists were out.

I loved listening to all of the different accents and languages during my hike. I left before it got really busy.

The sun came up as I was leaving.

I drove to Stinson Beach to watch the waves and smell the ocean air.

Bird party.

I love seeing the silhouettes of people and animals on the beach.

Sometimes I daydream of living in a small beach town.

Feathers amaze me.

And they’re off!

Watching the sun sparkle on the water was my favorite.

A new friend.

At the top of Mt. Tam. You can see the city way down there.

Bodega Bay. Not all in that order.

Fleeting moments.

I look for signs all the time.

This was a good one.

Worked on this during the weekend.

The best part? I pulled from my potted plants and barely had to buy any new succulents for this project.

Crazy plant propagating lady !!!

October 21, 2016

I love lists

Welcome to I love lists! It’s Friday. Let’s surf the internet together!

Why do anything?
This dress with leggings, a sweater and boots.
You don’t need a great studio space to shoot a portrait.
A cocktail that involves bucha.
I want curry ramen.
Sarcasm sure is fun.
Photographers vs. criticism
I’m just a cat. Staring at you work.
Coffee shops are getting wise.
Firefighter turned artist.
My new favorite pens.
Dudes wore these things. Whoa.
ALLLLL the fried foods in Texas.
The power of the dinner table.
If you want to do a doughnut tour around the bay.
I know someone who will like these photos.
GEEZ. Just let her live. AND COME ON.
Apparently I am 24 and live in California.
This is now in my purse. This book is on my nightstand.
Persian rugs taken to a whole new level.
Gonna go for a walk and listen to this this weekend.
I love this idea- last minute book report. HA!

Inspiration

October 20, 2016

Whole 30 = Done!

Whole 30 = DONE.

I haven’t decided what I am going to eat/drink first because for some reason the pressure feels too great. I also feel like it might be counterintuitive to celebrate with food. So many feelings yet to process. But yeah! 30 days, man. Wow.

What did you eat/drink first when you went through the Whole30 journey?

How did you feel when you did it??

We haven’t talked about the weight part yet, because it’s kind of a big deal.

I lost 10 lbs. in 30 days.

10 lbs. of padding I had to protect me from my feelings.

Ten pounds gone because I was a better advocate for myself.

I said no to certain things because

I have willpower.

I said no because I am putting myself first.

I am going slow

because I am worth the effort.

Ten pounds lost by being mindful.

30 days of saying YES to myself and NO to bad habits.

Ten pounds lost by making the right choices because

I am not rushing into things.

I am allowing myself to feel feelings and when they’re too much,

I learn how to make a quiet space for myself

so I can RESET. I must breathe. I can’t hold my breath.

I am finally learning that I MUST slow down.

Slowing down is hard for someone with my intensity.

When I don’t slow down, my body retaliates.

I have learned that to go slow, I must sacrifice certain things.

The more I know

ABOUT MYSELF,

the easier it is to make those sacrifices because

I AM WORTH THE EFFORT.

When I

GO SLOW

I can evaluate my choices and be better at controlling my

IMPULSES.

Knowing myself, means understanding my impulses because

they’re mostly rooted in feelings.

Numbing my feelings just adds more stress to my life.

I am in the process rewriting the story.

Creating better habits is KEY.

Habits with impact. Habits that will help me reset when I need to

THE MOST.

More soon. Still feeling all the feelings!

There’s a doughnut downstairs on the counter I have to contend with.

It’s cool.

I’ll be happy with my decision either way.

I summed it all up in my bullet journal:

Here’s a look at week 2 and week 3

Thank you for following me on this journey!

Inspiration, recipes

October 18, 2016

Butternut Squash Soup 8 Ways

Imagine you’re on your way home from work. You’re frantic. You need to make dinner and you want all of the people you have to feed to be happy. You’ve worked all day and the LAST THING you want to hear is complaining. That’s when you make a “Choose Your Own Adventure” meal! How do you do that? Well you provide a bunch of options so everyone can customize dinner to their own taste. The best quick weeknight meals are the ones where everyone gets what they want. That’s why Taco Night & Burger Night are both so popular at my house.

Let me show you how you can turn Soup Night into something much more!

First we’re going to take our base soup– Imagine’s Organic Creamy Butternut Squash Soup and we’re going to make a BUFFET of toppings. This soup is PERFECT way to celebrate Autumn.

It’s light, creamy and super velvety.

I wasn’t kidding about the toppings. Bust out ALL THE BOWLS.

Toppings above include:

fried sage
spinach
pomegranate seeds
cilantro
sour cream
salsa
cranberry sauce
browned butter
crostini
caramelized onions
candied walnuts
chili powder
curry powder
green onions
tortilla chips
cheddar cheese
blue cheese
sriracha

Heat up your soup in a pot over the stove.

One container of Imagine’s Organic Creamy Butternut Squash Soup can make up to four small bowls of soup. I used two containers for all 8.

Let’s top it!

OK. Are you ready to see 8 different combinations? Let’s go!

This version has pomegranate seeds for sweetness, green onions for a sharp bite, bacon for a smoky/salty vibe and a swirl of sour cream to make even CREAMIER!

This version is similar to the one above but we add cranberry sauce and caramelized onions!

It tastes like Thanksgiving!

We go for a Thai inspired soup with this one. Stir in some curry powder, drizzle some sriracha on top and finish with toasted coconut and fresh cilantro! I bet a little coconut cream would be divine in there.

When I think of Autumn, I think of butternut squash and SAGE! Browned butter makes everything better, doesn’t it? I fried some sage in the browned butter and it made its way into the butternut squash soup!

Autumn dreams are made of this combination.

Let’s turn it into a Mexican inspired soup! Here we have salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, chili powder and hot sauce. Don’t forget the tortilla chips!

Bread + cheese + soup = YAAAAAAS

Here I topped crostini with blue cheese & caramelized onions. Now that I’m looking at this I am sure a balsamic reduction drizzle would be a good addition!

We combine candied walnuts with the fried sage, a drizzle of browned butter, candied walnuts and creme fraiche. We add a little pomegranate seeds for extra fun.