Spring Essentials

Although I firmly believe that summer is where it's at, I am so happy that spring is here! The sun is warmer and brighter, the days are longer, and there's that undeniable "spark" in the air. Is it love? Static cling? A fallen power line from the Santa Ana winds? Whatever it may be, I love it! Here are some of my essentials for spring. <3

White Free People gauze dress paired with a cropped denim jacket and ankle boots.

A fresh new candle with a light scent. Love this one from Anthropologie. 

Soft, neutral nails.

A bold, floral maxi skirt or dress. Love this one from Topshop.

Love this cute, white tote from Forever 21. And it's under $30! So by the time it gets dirty it will have paid for itself!

Crazy for Kale!

Had my first go at making homemade kale chips and I have to say, I'm totally hooked! SO crunchy and salty like a potato chip but THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOU! Ok, maybe "good" isn't the right word, but they're definitely better for you than processed chips full of trans fat and preservatives.

What you need:

Organic kale

Olive oil

Seal salt

Garlic powder (optional)

Seasoned salt

When I bought the kale, I felt the leaves and picked the driest I can find. I figured the less moisture in the leaves, the better chips you'd get. Seemed to work out!

Wash the kale really well and tear/cut into chip-sized pieces.

Toss in olive oil (for one bunch of kale I used 1 tablespoon).

Sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder (optional) and seasoned salt and toss.

Lay the leaves on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and bake for 20 minutes on 350 degrees. I turn them halfway. Bake until the edges just barely turn golden brown. 

Crunchy, tasty and light!

Almond Milk Deliciousness

Almond milk. No clue how I ever lived without it. Rarely do I ever drink/use dairy milk these days. And I have perfected my favorite recipe. Super simple. Super delicious.

What you'll need:

1 cup raw, unsalted almonds

3 cups of water (I use filtered. I think it tastes better)

2 dates (make sure you remove the pits!)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional. I love the vanilla. LOVE.)

First let the almonds soak in water for at least 4 hours. The longer they soak, the softer they become, the easier they'll blend, and the more almond flavor will be in your milk. I soak for about 6 hours or you can always just soak them overnight.

After they've soaked, drain the water. Place in a blender with the dates and vanilla (if desired). Blend until the consistency is as smooth as it will get.

I usually blend for about 2-3 minutes. It will be pulpy.

After you've blended everything together, you'll need to strain the milk from the pulp. You're technically supposed to use a nut-milk bag. I, however, have not been able to find one ANYWHERE. I think I'm going to have to order one online. That just seems like so much effort for such a little thing. Ugh. Anyways, since I don't have one, I do what I always do- improvise! So I used a CLEAN pair of pantyhose. The nice thing about the pantyhose is that you can stretch the waistband around the rim of a bowl and just pour away without worrying about keeping a bag open or any pulp sneaking in. What did we ever do without elastic?

Squeeze the bag with the pulp to get out all milk. Yes, your hands will get messy but it's so worth it. And if you choose to put vanilla in there it smells sweet and delicious. 

I either store it in this air-tight Tupperware or a jar with a screw-on lid on it. It keeps for about 3-4 days in the fridge. I use it on cereal, smoothies, etc. It truly is so simple, fast and delicious. 

Hippie Child

I love clothes from any era, but the 60's going into the 70's have always been at the top of my list. I remember my first pair of bell bottoms at 8 years old. They were dark denim with a bell that covered my entire shoe and had some giant flowers near the ankle. They were amazing. To this day I own more bell bottoms than I do skinnies! 

A few weeks back Nordstrom Rack was having a huge clearance on their pants so of course I had to check it out. I found these peach and purple tie dye skinnies for only $8.20! Score! They're cotton so they're really soft and the colors are so bright and fun. Perfect for spring (that I hope shows up soon!). I paired them with a simple white cotton t shirt and some flat ankle boots and couldn't have been more comfortable.

Tie-dye pants- Nordstrom Rack, White muscle t- good hYOUman, Suede booties from Target- here, Leather Necklace- Forever 21

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!