Blog Update

Hey all!!!

Look at the blog! It's brand new!!! New title, new backgrounds, and new content! It's been, what, three years here now? I think it was time for a change. Theme of 2014: change. New Year, New Me (Yes, I have been saying this almost everyday since January 1, but it's true!!!)

Here's what to look forward to in the near future:

• New recipe reviews: clean banana pancakes, mini-lasagna. Yum-o!
• Fitness news: Bikini season is around the corner! Are you preparing?? I am!
• Books: I recently discovered Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series. LOVE it! Can't wait to tell you guys about it.
• Life: 10 weeks until graduation!

I don't know if you all can tell, but there are some pretty exciting things on the docket!!! Are you excited? I know I am! Salud!

New Year's Resolutions 2014

Hi!!! I know what you're thinking. Who is this stranger?? Sorry! I'm blaming this unforeseen lack of blogging on the fact that I'm in my final year of graduate school and my time is dedicated to the thesis. It's not glamorous, I promise you. But after June, lookout! I'm coming back with a vengeance. That, you could say, is one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2014. What are some of my other resolutions?? Check below to find out.

Fitness: Keep building muscle, tighter core, stronger upper body. During 2013 I realized just how weak my upper body is. I mean, it's pathetic and really unbalanced with the rest of my body. 2014 seems like the perfect time to change that! 

Professional: Finish thesis, graduate, acquire a full-time job. These are THE plans for 2014 and hopefully, fingers crossed, accomplished by July 2014. If you know anyone looking to hire in the fields of communication, event planning, or program coordination, let a girl know! ...seriously though.

Life: Move out of Oregon, be more social. Do you ever move somewhere and over time realize, this is NOT the place for me? That's how I feel about Oregon. It's rainy & overcast 80% of the time, the speed limits are mind-boggling low, and people are super into things I'm super uninterested in. As a California transplant, this is not the scene for me. Great learning experience, but now it's time to skit, skat, skedaddle! And post-skedaddling I definitely need to try harder to, you know, be friendlier and outgoing. I've become such a reclusive curmudgeon over this past year and a half!

So, those are my goals! I think they're achievable and I'm super pumped for 2014. What are your goals? Is anyone other than me making goals?? Salud!

Clean Blackberry Cobbler

I've had a craving for pie for many...weeks at this point. But I'm trying to stay dedicated to the clean eating cause, mostly because I'm scheduled to run a 5k next week. (I'm not where I should be in training for it.) Despite the dedication, last night my friend ordered a slice marionberry pie and I wanted to offer my first born for a slice. I didn't. But I did look up clean recipes for a berry cobbler. These are the best two I found:
Almond Butter Peach Cobbler for Two and Berry Crisp Recipe for One.

It may not look exactly like this. It will be equally delicious!

I did this thing where I combined the two recipes a little. Really botched it. Tasted like I was eating warmed peanut butter. I did eat it all though and I highly recommend it. Especially if you're hard-up for sweets. Also this recipe is possibly paleo and definitely vegan if you take out that honey! The next time I make this, this is what my recipe will look like:


Ingredients:

1 small peach, cored and sliced cup of frozen blackberries (you can also mix blackberries and peaches, but  let the peaches thaw.)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted I didn't see the point of this addition
1/4 cup almond flour oat flour. It's what I had on hand. Though almond flour is more granular, so you may like it better for the topping.
2 tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter) 1-1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/2 tbsp honey (I probably used a full tbsp. Shoot me.)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt Forgot it. Oops.

Put the fruit in the bottom of an oven safe dish (I used a ramkin), mix everything else together until it's crumbly (add more flour if it's not crumbly enough) and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 and you have a cobbler! And you'll still be able to run in the morning!! I think. Salud!

Clean Peppermint Mocha

At this point, I know what you're thinking. Wow. This girl is FLAKY! But it's not my fault! Just as I was gearing up to get into the swing of things again, my computer broke. So then I had to go through an extended process of figuring out what was wrong/ buying a new computer. But now that that is all fixed and I've caught up on my papers...I'M HERE for real! As a token of my sincerity, I've also brought along a CLEAN Peppermint Mocha recipe. You're welcome in advanced.

Now, as I'm sure you all know by now, I like to keep a clean diet as much as possible. But as a mid-twenties graduate student, coffee and coffee shops are simply a fact of life. So to help alleviate how much time I spend at Starbucks, I bring you an equally enjoyable and much more diet friendly The recipe can be found here: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/peppermint-mocha/

I've included the recipe below. Of course, I made a few substitutions according to my tastes:

 

I'm using my Princeton mug in support of the football team's spectacular win this weekend. Go tigers!

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons cocao powder

1 1/2 Tablespoons organic whole cane sugar, sucanat, or honey

6 ounces whole milk
 unsweetened original almond milk (I prefer Almond Breeze)
2 ounces strong brewed herbal coffee *Safeway brand, 1/2 caffeinated coffee to taste. I just poured it in there until my mug was filled. Like a real caffeine addict.
a splash of peppermint extract

2 Tablespoons whipped cream No whipped cream. :/

Instructions

Whisk together milk, cocao powder and whole cane sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When milk begins to steam take off of heat and pour into a mug. Add the herbal coffee and splash of peppermint extract. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream.

I don't know if you can tell, but this recipe is super simple to assemble. And it's mighty tasty. As always, don't be afraid to make modifications according to your diet and don't forget to check out the Deliciously Organic website; you won't be disappointed. Salud!!

Loving It Monday

Quick post. I know, I know. It's been AGES! And I can't promise I'm fully going to get back into the swing of things. But I do miss this space. And so, I thought I would bring you a real gem and a peace offering, perhaps? I introduce to you, The Audrey Brooke Pierre Flat:

Talk about a ballet flat! How authentic is this shoe!? Also, how perf(ect) is it for fall, with some skinny jeans, running around the city, oversized scarf and perhaps and fluff or two of snow!? THE CUTENESS! 

I don't know about you, but I think I have some adorable feet and they would look BEYOND adorable in these shoes. Pre-Christmas present??? (I'm way too excited) Salud!

Where can you get this? DSW!:  http://bit.ly/HhzgGF

Can't Hang With the Hair Gang, Pt. 1

Do I think that title is corny? Yes. Did I stick with it because it rhymed and I came up with it at 2 am yesterday morning? Yes. Are we all ready to move forward? YES. In T-minus two days I'm jumping off the semi-natural hair train. I seriously can't hang. I am not made to personally deal with this kind of volume and upkeep. I think a big reason for jumping ship, for me, is because I currently live in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. It's a nice town, don't get me wrong. Cute coffee shops, friendly residents, quaint small business boutiques. All very ideal and vaguely hipster. But what isn't included in this quaintness are ethnic hairdressers. Add to this the bat shit crazy humidity and lack of sufficient hair taming products and you end up with me. An unhappy, semi-natural girl who's hair no longer curls, but instead becomes irrevocably and unforgivably frizzy. As rapper Chief Keef is so popularly quoted for saying, "That's that shit I don't like!" That is my depth of feeling about the situation, exclamation point included. And so, I am headed back to my OG ways of getting relaxers. Because, truth be told, I'm just a straight haired kind of gal. Especially if I'm going to have to do my hair myself in Oregon. Dealing with unkempt frizziness is added stress I don't need as a graduate student. I will miss, however, the versatility of curly hair during swimming season. Upside, I get to have a new hair cut! Below are some of the options I am considering, all variations on bobs. I'll make a video later this week to show you all the results. Salud!

Where I like to fancy my hair length to be at:
 

If my hair needs to be cut (Heaven forbid):

  

If my hair is surprisingly long (fingers crossed):
  

Sweaters? SWEATERS!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before, but I love me a good sweater. The right fit, length, color and thickness. Ugh, love love love. I die. Now, for more coherent English. Currently, I am DYING over men's sweaters, size small. The current women's trend in "boyfriend" jeans/sweaters/etc pushed me into the realm of wearing actual men's sweaters. If you're going to wear an approximation, why not wear the real thing? Especially because a lot of time women's "boyfriend" sweaters taper in weird ways or are tight in ways that a true boyfriend's sweater wouldn't be. So I wear a men's small. My favorites so far come from Gap and Target, they have these really soft cotton pullovers that go great with scarves and boots. Recently, I was at Urban Outfitters and came across these gems. I don't trust their sizing, so I hesitate to order them, but I die nevertheless. Check it!

American Redux Sweater


It's so American! I love flag paraphernalia. There is no way this could have been passed over on my to die for list.
http://urbout.co/T6pUhC

Sweaters for All My Friends Intarsia Pullover

That gnome is SO cute. How fun would this sweater be to wear!?
http://urbout.co/R6KmBs

 O'Hanlon Mills Intarsia Ski Sweater

This sweater I am intrigued by because it is very, very manly. This is true man sweater territory. The others have an arguably feminine appeal (at least in my book), a means to fall into the territory of a woman simply wearing a sweater. But this last one...whole new level.
http://urbout.co/T6pEiE

Check out the whole sweater page. It's worth your time if you're truly inclined to forge into man sweater territory.
http://urbout.co/SL91bj