Protein Pancakes

Easy and filling, this is one of my favorite breakfasts.

1 scoop protein powder (I use chocolate)
3 egg whites
1/2 banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp almond milk
1/4 c old fashioned oats

Mash banana with almond milk. Add remaining ingredients. Pour onto medium heat griddle sprayed with canola oil. When bubbles rise to top, carefully flip over. Cook all the way through. Top with leftover banana, blueberries or maple syrup.

You can also add a tbsp of chia seeds to the batter for some extra omega-3s! Enjoy!

My response to "Don't date a girl who travels"

Don't date a girl who travels because she is easy to please. All you need to have is a taste for adventure. Though she may be impressed by your fancy watch and new car, she knows that life experiences are so much more important.

You'll spend all of your hard earned money on expensive plane tickets and find yourself sipping fancy cocktails by the ocean. You'll have to get used to sleeping in strange beds and eating foreign foods. Instead of burgers and fries, you'll eat banh mi from a food stall or drink fresh juice out of a coconut from some man's street-side cart.You'll have to be ok with a high risk of food poisoning. But trust her, fresh fish can be so delicious.

You'll get "talked to" by your boss for putting in so many vacation requests but it doesn't matter because you still need a full time job to pay for all of these trips. However, if you're able to balance work and play time, the reward can be great. You can complain about your boring job but she will only remind you of the many things you have to look forward to and be thankful for. You won't need to live paycheck to paycheck because she is financially responsible or else she would not be able to lead such an adventurous life.

Don't date a girl who travels for she is independent. She has a free spirit but can appreciate a home and the value of putting down roots. But only if that's what she wants. She may not be the most creative or artistic but if she is good for her. Everyone knows you don't need to be crafty or a yoga instructor to appreciate Mother Nature and all she has to offer.

Though she may never need you to keep her happy, she is grateful for someone who may want to share these experiences with. She might forget to check in with you every day but that's only because she may have lost her wi-fi signal. She is considerate, thoughtful and loving all while still being exciting.

So never date a girl who travels unless you can keep up with her. And if you unintentionally fall in love with one, don’t you dare keep her. Let her go join her on her journey.

You can read the original post here.

Winter Storm Watch

The entire South is in a state of panic because it's cold. Schools and businesses are closed, people are sent home from work early, no one knows what to do because there is ice on the road! Normal television programming has been interrupted for the special WINTER STORM COVERAGE. It's a bit comical because we're not in a snow flurry. Just our roads are covered in a layer of ice. I'm assuming because we live in Florida that people don't know what to do with themselves when temperatures drop below 80*. Well, to keep things warm inside the house, I created the most delicious bowl of soup! It started off as the sauce to a spaghetti but I found it a little plain so the next night, I used that puree as a soup base and added some bacon. So delicious! I named it after one of my favorite breakfast places in Sacramento. Enjoy!

Bacon & Butter(nut squash) Soup
Adapted from original recipe here

4 slices of nitrate/nitrite free bacon
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 tbs olive oil
1 cube vegetable bouillon
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/8 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the butternut squash. Cook until soft, about 12-15 minutes.
2. While your butternut squash is cooking, place strips of bacon on a grill (I used the George Foreman). Cook until crispy and set aside to cool.
3. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the squash from the water and place in a large bowl.
4. Place the cooked butternut squash in a large food processor or blender. Puree the squash until smooth. Add water and bouillon cube and puree until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. You may need a little more or a little less water depending on the size of your squash.
5. In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 3-5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash. Stir in the mozzarella cheese. Season with nutmeg, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Crumble cooled bacon over the soup mixture and serve warm. 

Let me know how it turned out!

Busy Wedding Bee.

A few things have happened since I returned to Florida after a month long vacation in California! The day after I got back home, I went on an interview and was offered the job on the spot! Best thing is the position is on a surgical floor with an emphasis on joint replacements, my specialty! Well, my main knowledge set right now. Also, the hospital is only 2.6 miles away. And I was offered a position on day shift!! I am very lucky.

I have gotten into major wedding planning mode because my days off won't last for long. As well as when I was in Sacramento, my Mother-in-Love (her idea, not mine haha) really pushed me to make some decisions and get a head start on things. That really sent my mind reeling over all the little details I had yet to decide on. So, ever since I've been back I've been working on whatever I can. The problem is, I am not a designer nor do I know how to do anything on the computer except use Word and surf the web... So designing invitations with fancy fonts and this new thing I learned called swashes and programs, SO CONFUSING! Thank goodness I started early. Also, it's annoying when you have a really good idea in your head and no idea on how to make it materialize on the computer. Maybe I need one of those adult computer classes. Nevertheless, I did bang out some pretty beautiful envelopes in my opinion! Here's a little sneak peek!

Like I said, terrible at doing a lot of things on the computer but I'm pretty proud I figured this simple thing out. Ha! Not bad for having no budget for a calligrapher! Toot toot!

Also, how cute are the stamps that I used for my postcard Save the Dates?!

These two websites were very helpful for addressing my invitations. Word to the wise: know how many invitations you are sending out, not the number of guests. I know our guest count is at 150 but really we're only sending out about 85 invitations. At the Post Office I GROSSLY overestimated how many stamps we would need and purchased 360. Doh! Well, the cost of the stamp is rising so I guess it's safe to say I'm set for life.

• Real Simple: How to Address Wedding Invitations
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Addressing & Mailing Your Invitations 

Raw Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

I've been on a documentary-thon lately and am Hungry for Change! (See what I did there?) I'm choosing Forks Over Knives and trying a plant based diet. To kickstart it, my family and I went to my favorite raw food place, The Green Boheme. Everything there is completely raw and vegan and absolutely delicious! If you've never been there before or think being vegan is all about salads, think again! There's burgers, pizza, ravioli, and even enchiladas! Super tasty!

Anyway, for dessert they had some macaroons: vanilla chai and chocolate. But looking at the ingredients, I already had some on hand and figured I would try to make some myself when I got home.

Introducing my (raw, vegan) chocolate coconut protein macaroons!

1 cup unsweetened coconut threads
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (I used organic cacao nibs ground to a powder)
1 tablespoon bodylogix vegan protein powder in chocolate
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Salt to taste

Combine and pulse all ingredients in a food processor. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for an hour or two and enjoy!

Anyone else trying to better their lives in 2014? Try these macaroons and let me know what you think!

My First DIY Subway Art!

 

Like I said, I am NO graphic designer. I lack a lot of creativity and a design eye. However, I can't help but love the look of subway art. There are so many different ways to do it from very simple to very complicated. At my parent's house, they only have black ink and white paper so I was a little limited. Thankfully there are thousands of FREE fonts out there one can use to jazz up their documents. I used this tutorial for getting started on my first attempt at subway art.

I created the above image with text boxes and a standard size of 8.5 x 11. I've been using MS Word for way over a decade and just learned these two things.

1. To make MUDSLIDE vertical, highlight the text box -> Format tab -> Text -> Text Direction.
2. It is also easy to space out the letters, ex. Gin + Tonic. Highlight the text -> Home tab -> Font -> expand menu -> Character Spacing -> Spacing. And adjust as needed.

Those little tidbits are probably basic word knowledge but they sure come in handy when making subway art and you don't have something better like MS Publisher or Picasa already on your computer. Anywho, this little piece will be the cocktail menu for my family's Christmas get together tomorrow...ah! it's 12:26, today! Well, Merry Christmas!

Please share your tips! This was my first attempt at this and I'm sure it won't be my last. I'd really like to try this in a cutout version using the silhouette. Wish me luck!

DIY Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix in a mason jar

With the holidays around the corner and still no source of income, I decided to get crafty and finally bring one of my many pocketed Pinterest projects to life. Initially the idea came from Lauren Conrad's blog, but just google "mason jar gifts" and take your pick. Everything from cakes, mixes, scrubs, dips and even sewing kits, there's definitely something for everyone in your life.

I think the best part about this project was how affordable it was. I initially planned on giving some of my best girlfriends a duo of nail polish from Ross or TJ Maxx but at over $8 a set, it was beginning to add up! I headed over to WinCo with my mom at about 11pm (they're open 24 hours and great for last minute ladies like myself) and gathered the supplies. The awesome thing about WinCo was that you could buy in bulk! I know they aren't the most socially conscious retailer out there but feel free to buy in bulk at Whole Foods if that fits your shopping practices better. You're going to get the best deal from the bulk bins.

12 8 oz canning jars $7.98
1 lb belgian cocoa mix $2.00
mini marshmallows $0.98
1/2 lb peppermint candies $1.50
--------------------------------
= about $12.50, or a little over a dollar per jar!

I'm no graphic designer by any means, I created some tags in Microsoft Word but it was a process. After I had already finished the project I wanted to go back and play with making tags. Well, silly me! There are a ton of premade labels online, especially if you buy the easy stickers by Avery, their website has a lot of templates to choose from.

I originally wanted chocolate chips but the ones my Mom had on hand were old and not fit for gifting and I was already too lazy to go back to the store. Assembly was easy: cocoa mix, peppermint candy, (the layer that would have been chocolate), marshmallows, gift tag & string. I've seen them done way cuter with bakers twine or even a pretty ribbon. If I had my Silhouette Portrait I would've cut some snowflakes to tie on as well. Or even if I had my cardstock, choose a cuter design for the back of the tags than the hot pink cardstock I already had (haha!).

Next, using the extra, I had to taste test.... Delicious!

Update: My parents gifted me Rumchata a bit early. If you don't know what that is, it's horchata (a Mexican rice milk drink) and rum. Add that to hot cocoa? Heaven!!

What are you making for your friends if you're on a budget this year? Or better yet, what are you drinking while you make them? ;)