Hi friends, and happy weekend!! I'm joining in on the blogger trend I've been seeing everywhere of talking about things I'm loving lately. Here we go: LUSH Ro's Argan Body Conditioner I was introduced to LUSH and its products over the holidays when Christmas shopping with my aunt, and now I'm seriously addicted to this stuff. Made with cocoa butter, cupuacu butter, almond oil and Argan oils, you use this product like hair conditioner: smooth some over your whole body in the shower, rinse it off, towel dry, and voila! Your body is soft and conditioned - no lotion necessary. It's awesome, and it smells like roses! Oh and did I mention that all of the LUSH products are vegan and never tested on animals? Zing Dark Chocolate Sunflower Mint Bars I've been a fan of Zing bars for awhile now, ... [Read More]
Archives for January 2014
Sweet Potato, Kale & Pasta Soup {vegan}
This fall and winter more than any others in the past, I've been a soup eating machine. When eating out, I keep going for the soup on the menu. At home, there have been countless lentil, tomato & spinach soup dinners, and then there have been some soup experimentations, like zucchini puree and tonight's recipe: sweet potato, kale and pasta soup. This soup has so much goodness in it - including antioxidants, iron, fiber, Vitamin K, B6, A, C and D, calcium, magnesium, potassium... and the list goes on. Let's just say that it's nutritious! This recipe came about because I had a bag of tuscan kale about to be past its prime in my fridge. I decided that it would pair well with sweet potato and pasta in a soup. Celery, onion and basil came into the picture because they're soup staples to ... [Read More]
Jillian Michaels’ Yoga Inferno DVD Review
Hi everyone! I thought today I'd share with you my love of doing yoga and thoughts on a new workout DVD from Jillian Michaels called Yoga Inferno. If you've never done yoga, I highly suggest that you try it. It's beneficial for every single person out there -- whether you're a seasoned athlete trying to improve flexibility, a person with back issues, or an exercise newbie who wants to expand your horizons. The great part about yoga is that you do things at your own level and pace. If you're interested in trying yoga but don't want to go to a class, I suggest following a few YouTube videos or DVDs to get a feel for what style works best for you. I used to not practice yoga because I thought it was too slow-paced for my liking, but my how things have changed! I like doing yoga on ... [Read More]
Snapshots of Weekend Awesomeness
I thought of titling this post, "Hiking, massages, and wine tastings, these are a few of my favorite things!" but then thought better of such a lengthy title. But, my weekend had a lot of awesomeness in it, so I thought I'd share some of it with you all. My weekend started off with a hike with Gina and Harley at Mount Madonna Park. The weather was nice and mild, Harley acted like a maniac as usual, and with Gina and I just chatting away, our workout just flew by. I think that these hiking dates need to happen more often! Some of my at-home meals included this delicious breakfast creation.... [Whole wheat flaxseed PB & J waffles topped with strawberry sauce] Does that not just look and sound like a whole lot of yumminess? [A slightly burnt but still good ... [Read More]
6 Dip Ideas for the Super Bowl
With the Super Bowl coming up in a week, I know that there are plenty of people out there trying to come up with easy but tasty (and hopefully somewhat healthy!) munchies to bring to a party or have at their own place. As I mentioned in my last post when sharing my recipe for queso fresco black bean dip, I am most definitely an appetizer and dip lover. So, without further adieu, I thought I'd share 6 awesome dip recipes with you today: French Onion Dip I just whipped up my take of this classic yummy dip for the first time last New Year's Eve. I liked it so much, I just may make it again on Sunday! Serve it with carrots, celery, pretzels, or (homemade) potato chips. You can check out the recipe here. Spinach & Artichoke Dip A lighter version than what you'll find in restaurants all ... [Read More]
Queso Fresco Black Bean Dip
Sometimes whipping up a quick dip makes for the perfect meal. When watching primetime football. When you're having a game night. When you feel like being lazy in the kitchen but still need to make some sort of dinner. If you're a dip eating kind of person, then I've got a recipe for you today: Slowly but surely, my husband has shifted from being a bean-hater who would say, "Are there beans in this?" with distaste every time I included them in a dish, to someone who doesn't mind them all that much. In fact, when I put this dip on my kitchen table, he not only said nothing of the dip's focus on black beans... but he even commented on really being a fan of the dish. I think that if/when we have children one day, I'll use similar kitchen tactics of slowly integrating "hated" ingredients ... [Read More]