And we danced anyway...

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Thu, 17 May 2012 14:05:15 -0500

Photo

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:05:00 -0500

To Go Container from Crate and Barrel

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:03:44 -0500

These are almost bento box style and easier to find! I love that they look like typical to go containers. What do you think?

Weird Reason #2 I like my new job… I brought this ball...

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:55:01 -0500

Weird Reason #2 I like my new job…

I brought this ball in to sit on at work to help my posture and strengthen my core and people barely blinked an eye. Totally the right work environment for me.

Someone even said that they thought the boss’ wife would even purchase them for us because they are so into a healthy lifestyle here. Awesome.

Random Weird Reason #1 I like my new job

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:02:00 -0500

They supply us with actual silverware and plates. I never have to worry about remembering plasticware for my lunches AND it is better for the environment. :-) Go team!

Kari Herer Photography

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:36:46 -0500

This print has been on the back of my mind for sometime now…id say over a year at least. This artist gets continually highlighted and it only reminds me that I am missing out. One day I will pony up and buy it.

By KariHerer

Today I'm thankful for...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:31:13 -0500

A new job! Not only is a job and lets me get off unemployment and go back to a normal life schedule again but this place is soo cool. They seriously promote a healthy lifestyle. There are two workout classes a day. So, instead of going and getting something unhealthy for lunch, I workout and then eat whatever I bring in. It kicked my BUTT yesterday (my first day). Today wasn’t much better considering how sore I was. I suffered through it though and accomplished more than I thought I could. I am so excited..it’s such a good kickstart back into a healthy lifestyle. I always told myself I would get healthy when I started back up on a normal schedule, but this place makes it hard not to. When classes are free…why not? Without this little kick in the butt, I probably wouldn’t have actually started getting back in shape. Thank you new company!

Bento Boxes

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:14:04 -0500

I am finally employed again! I had a 2 and a half month hiatus and it feels good to get back into a normal routine. I’m hoping this normal routine gets me back into being healthy and working out on a regular basis. Luckily, my new company is AWESOME. The building is LEED certified and they have so many things that I can just see encouraging me to stay healthy. Today, I am going to do a workout class AT my building. How cool is that? They also bring us healthy lunches on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hopefully, that just reminds me that I need to continue the trend that my company is starting for me.

Anyways, I still have three days a week that I need to pack a healthy lunch for. I REALLY want to bring my lunches. It is healthier and cheaper. I almost feel like going out to lunch (unless it is with my whole team) is nearly self destructive.

Of course, if I am going to bring my lunch, I am going to do it in a stylish way. These bento boxes are soooo cute. There are so many of them out there, it is going to be difficult to decide my favorite! I will keep posting bento boxes I find until my heart stolen by one. (yes, it is actually possible that my heart gets stolen by a bento box…im ok with it). However, the mint green one is definitely in the running, I just need to flirt with it a little longer.

Harabu House found via Oh Joy!

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Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:52:18 -0500

Angel Hair Pasta with Chile, Lemon, and Arugula

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:30:50 -0500

TRY THIS.

Pasta can be so heavy and, to me, is only a dinner meal. However, this recipe is something I can eat nearly anytime. It’s a perfect summer pasta. The real thing that makes this interesting is the panko bread crumbs. They just add an interesting texture to the dish.

Angel Hair Pasta w/ Arugula & Lemon

serves 4-6

(recipe slightly adapted from Tyler Florence Family Meal: Bringing People Together Never Tasted Better)

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, silvered
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
grated zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 pound angel hair pasta
6 cups lightly packed baby or wild arugula
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

In a skillet, combine the panko with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toss to combine. Toast over medium heat, stirring, until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes to infuse the oil and gently cook the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest and remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta well, and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add the arugula, the infused oil with the garlic, and the bread crumbs. Use tongs to gently toss everything together. Mound the pasta on a large platter, squeeze lemon juice on top and serve, topping with grated Parmesan as desired.

Herschel Bags and Accessories

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:22:16 -0500

I decided that I am going to post websites/brands that I love. Mainly to remind myself when it comes time to buy certain things. My next duffel will definitely be coming from Herschel. Hopefully this will help me buy things that I will like in the long run and not buy junk that I will only like temporarily.

Sneaker Pump-awesome

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:31:46 -0500

Refinery29

Happy easter

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:56:07 -0500

Love Pantone.

Easter nail art!

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:09:09 -0500

Easter nail art!

Awesome painted mannequins

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:33:20 -0500

This specific mannequin just makes me want a bigger tattoo more than ever…just to decide what i want…

But really…how gorgeous are these as art for a bedroom?

Find these here

Pan-Fried Tofu with Dark Sweet Soy Sauce

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 23:47:15 -0500

This recipe is definitely a new stand-by. Instead of simply pan frying the tofu, I breaded the tofu just like the earlier tofu recipe on this tumblr said…Dredged it in flour, then coated with a mixture of tofu and water, then coated with bread crumbs. So delicious. I also tripled the recipe for the sauce and added a lot of extra chili garlic sauce. I am simply a sauce girl and just cant have enough….same goes for spice.

I served this with steamed broccoli and some rice noodles that I stir fried with a little of the extra sauce. So delicious.

Find the recipe here.

Check these ingredients first to see if you’re interested

2 tablespoons Chinese dark soy sauce (I used regular soy because I couldn’t find the dark soy…it turned out well)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (chili garlic hot sauce)
one 14-ounce block firm tofu
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 serrano, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
1 scallion, chopped

New nail design!

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:47:05 -0500

New nail design!

amandaapleaseee: omg i want this nail polish

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:07:07 -0500

amandaapleaseee:

omg i want this nail polish

Kale and Couscous Salad

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 13:31:06 -0600

When I was younger, there were a couple of foods that my mom told me I probably wouldn’t like. Of course, I wasn’t going to let someone TELL me what I wouldn’t like and so instantly, it became one of my favorite foods and has remained in that category since. (also, any recipe that includes sriracha is likely for me)

This recipe is delicious and helped me discover yet another use for my beloved tahini.

Kale and Couscous Salad

Kale & Couscous Salad
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 bunch of kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons finely minced onions

2 tablespoons tahini
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon sirracha (or your favorite hot sauce)
pinch salt

1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1. In a small pot, cook the couscous according to package directions.

2. While the couscous is cooking, wash kale throughly and pat dry. Remove the thick, bitter stems and slice kale into thin ribbons. Cut again crosswise once or twice so you don’t have large lengths of kale. Pour oil and vinegar over top and massage this into the kale using your hands, until all the kale is well-coated and shiny. Add cranberries and onions into the kale and toss.

3. Prepare the dressing by stirring together the remaining ingredients (except the almonds) - you may need to add a bit more water if you feel the tahini is seizing up, this is normal tahini behaviour, so don’t worry. Stir until the dressing is creamy and smooth.

4. Fluff couscous when ready and divide the couscous into 4 bowls. Top with the kale mixture and then pour over some of the dressing. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Makes 4 servings.

Apple and Thyme Crunchy Tofu

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:30:05 -0600

So, I looked in my fridge and realized I had some tofu that I needed to cook and I also had the leftover thyme from the baked potato I made. SO…I typed in “tofu thyme” in pinterest and found this recipe. This might be my favorite new recipe I have tried in the new year. It was sooo interesting. The tofu I used was just a perfect texture too. I will definitely make sure to look for this specific brand of tofu in the future. It says “Tasty Tofu” on the top and has a red plastic cover. The texture was just perfect.

The ingredients in this are just so easy. Apples…onions…easy peasy. The recipe does not show that onions are a necessary ingredient but they def are. I did different portion sizes but for one serving, I cut two thin rounds of red onion and it was perfect. However, for this recipe, I think that the more apples and onions you have the better. Just load them on top! Let me know if you love this as much as I do!