Oh Oh It's MAGIC You Knowww

This past week I went to the Magic/Project show in Vegas to help a friend out with his booth. His clothing and jewelry line isn't just incredibly cute (I own a ton of it); it's affordable, SO comfortable and has the most touching story behind it. He started it in memory of his father who passed away a few years ago and the brand is nothing short of inspirational. You can read his entire story here.

As for me, I had an awesome time. Not only was I able to help out a friend, but I got to explore the show and stop by some of my favorite brands booths. But ultimately this was about Brett and good hYOUman. Here are a few shots from the week.

The main man! The creator, designer, president, CEO, etc.

Ladies, Google him- Brett Novek- you won't be disappointed ;)

How amazing are these! goal digger- brilliant!

So sweet!

He hand makes all the jewelry. How amazing is this stuff? Rustic, raw, organic. LOVE.

Peace & Love.

My girl Chynna.

My new favorite tee! Definitely stole it from the booth ha! YOUnite. Love the play on YSL.

Throughout the show if you hashtagged #enkvegas on instagram they printed your pictures. And who doesn't love photo-booth pictures?!

Veggie Quinoa

Whipped up a quick little veggie quinoa for dinner tonight. I am loving quinoa with anything and everything these days. It's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's filling yet doesn't leave you feeling bloated or heavy. And the texture is really hearty. It kind of "pops" in your mouth which I find quite enjoyable. Clearly I've turned into a crazy quinoa lady. Moving right along..

So this is what I did tonight. First I soaked my quinoa in water for about 20 minutes. I brought it to a boil then simmered for about 20 minutes (until most of the water had disappeared and there was just some moisture in the bottom of the pot).  Meanwhile I sauteed some onions, garlic, red/yellow/green peppers, spinach cherry tomato, and garbanzo beans. Then mixed with the quinoa and served it warm. Yummy.

I sauteed the onion for a few minutes and then added the garlic. Garlic is very sensitive to heat and can burn quickly so I wait until the onion starts to become translucent in color and then add the garlic. And I ALWAYS season them with a little salt and pepper. The salt helps them to "sweat" out their flavors not to mention the aroma is heavenly. Want people to think you're slaving over a hot stove making a delicious meal? Saute some onion and garlic. Job done.

Added into the onion and garlic..

A couple cups of roughly chopped organic spinach

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

Green bell pepper tends to be a lot more bitter than yellow and red so I always use half as much as the red and yellow. I like a good balance of flavors.

After the onion, garlic and peppers became tender, I added the spinach, cherry tomatoes and garbanzo beans. I added a little more salt and pepper. Gotta keep it seasoned! Also a little secret- if it starts to get a little dry, add a little Italian salad dressing. The flavors meld together incredibly. Once the spinach wilted, I turned the fire off and mixed with the quinoa. 

The flavors were awesome. The sweetness of the onion and red and yellow peppers contrasted with the bitterness of the green peppers and acidity of the tomatoes- perfection. And the garbanzo beans are really mild and neutral and act as the perfect backdrop. 

I garnished with some fresh chives. Bon appetit!

Blueberry Mint Agua Fresca AKA Blue Drink

So I saw this recipe on FamilyFreshCooking.com (recipe here) and couldn't wait to make it! Maybe it's the cold weather lately but I have been craving summer so badly! Warm sun on my face, 24/7 bikinis, cool beverages by the water...ugh, as I sit here in head-to-toe sweats in front of the fire place and space heater :/ How depressing.

10 oz. blueberries

water

juice of 1 lemon

fresh mint

agave (or honey) to sweeten naturally

Boil the blueberries in 1 cup of water. Keep an eye on them! I was shocked how quickly they came to a boil.

Once they start to boil, use a spoon to push the blueberries against the side to release the juice, reduce the heat and simmer with the lemon juice and fresh mint for 5 minutes.

Run juice through a strainer of some sort and add 6 cups of cold, purified water.

I put a few fresh mint leaves in each glass when I served it. Not only does it add to the freshness but it makes it that much more beautiful!

Quinoa Salad

Since finishing my fast a week ago, I have found that I felt so much more energized and full of life when my diet consisted of raw, all-natural foods. So I've been dabbling in the vegan life and have been finding some awesome (and delicious) recipes. I do feel the need to say that I am definitely not vegan. I have been enjoying having cheese, chocolate covered pretzels and frozen yogurt back in my life! 100% of anything is never a good thing. Balance is key. Right now I'm trying 80% vegan, 20% whatever I feel like. So far, so good! 

Once I saw this dish I knew I had to make it ASAP. Quinoa salad with avocado, cherry tomato, cucumber, garbanzo beans and a lemon Dijon vinaigrette. It was so delicious. Light, and full of flavor. Definitely will be making this a lot over summer.  The full recipe is here. 

As the recipe says to do, I soaked the quinoa for 15 minutes before cooking it. However, I used a can of chicken broth instead of vegetable broth because that's what I had in the pantry. I know it's not vegan, but it did taste delicious!

The food processor is my new best friend! In a few quick pulses, my spinach and cilantro were beautifully pureed. I also threw my onion and garlic in there. Definitely will be cutting back on my chopping thanks to this glorious machine!

Minced spinach, cilantro, onion and garlic combined with one can of rinsed garbanzo beans.

The recipe didn't call for it, but I added a cucumber and extra cherry tomatoes. I love my veggies!

Once the quinoa cooled, add to the salad and then add the vinaigrette.  

I added the avocado last because it's so delicate I didn't want it to mash from excessive mixing. 

The finished product! Light, bright and quite the party for your tongue.

Blue...42...Hike!

A beautiful little hummingbird nest!

Finally a day off! Woohoo!!! Started the morning off with a beautiful hike, had an amazing breakfast with my family and now I am enjoying the rest of my day relaxing, reading and catching up on bad tv. No makeup. No work. Sweats. And fuzzy socks. Perfection. <3

Peanut Butter & Banana Girly Protein Smoothie

Just a quick little post about my favorite protein smoothie. Milk and other dairy products tend to upset my stomach so I've had to find other ways to get my protein. Usually it's beans and nuts but sometimes I want something not so boring and a little more tasty. This smoothie is one of my absolute favorites. 

- 1 frozen banana

- 1 tablespoon of all natural peanut butter (jif and skippy don't count, sorry!)

- almond milk (I use about 3/4 cup)

- ice

Stud Muffin

Ok. This post has absolutely nothing to do with muffins. But my fast ended yesterday and considering food has reentered my life after its 21 day absence it's been on my mind a bit. It was Super Bowl Sunday yesterday and considering I'm more of a basketball fan rather than a football fan, I really didn't have any specific color to wear or team to represent. But I did know I would be eating lots of greasy, delicious food, laughing with friends, and jumping around. (I may not be a football fan but I still love a good game!)  So stretchy pants, a men's sweatshirt and my studded wedge tennies were perfect. So happy for Ray Lewis on the perfect end to his career.  He may have a dark past but he's walking proof that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. 

Men's sweatshirt Groceries Apparel, Jeggings Rock & Republic for Kohl's, Studded wedges I found on sale at Burlington Coat Factory, Ring I bought in Mexico, Cross bracelet from Cotton On, Leather braided bracelet H&M