Raw Chocolate Hearts ♥♥

Welcome to a yummy dessert post! It's healthy of course, so no worries. Eat To Live specifies only 1 oz. of nuts per day and minimal oil, so I made these small, but big enough to be satisfying. I also used flax seeds as part of the mix, and 1 T a day is recommended on ETL, so yay!

Basic recipe (play with these amounts till you like the taste and texture):
1 cup of any nuts/seeds ( I used almonds, chia, flax, and sunflower seeds)
1 cup of dates
splash of vanilla
1/4-1/8 c of raw cacao
1/8 c of cacao nibs
1-2 T coconut oil

Process it all up and press into ice cube trays. Freeze, pop out, eat!!!

♥

Peas porridge hot...

...peas porridge cold, lol, blah blah blah! It's hard with Eat To Live to get over the sameness of the food sometimes. I love all the fresh fruit and veg, but the entrees stump me. A lot of salad and soup, a lot of cooked veggies. None of all that delicious middle ground like bread, crackers, pasta, rice...gah! I am feeling so well and energetic, though, that I'm not defecting! I also had a "cheat night" last night that involved peanut butter cookies and wine. It was awesome and I woke up feeling super motivated again. I guess getting a break every so often really does amp up a fairly stringent health plan.

Here's a yummy, salt-free soup I made by chopping veggies and dumping in several freezer bags of leftover stuff. Truly an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink dish. I used Bragg's nutritional yeast on top to give it a little extra seasoning. 

For eating my raw veggies, I made up a batch of homemade hummus- that's one healthy food I never get tired of! I cooked the garbanzos with kombu for a little natural salt and possibly de-gassing! I used raw tahini that I made myself (thrifty/creative peeps: it is SO easy to make tahini, and raw is even easier. The prices of raw tahini are crazy, so I am jazzed. Raw is just made without the cooking step. See my old post here). I threw in Bragg's Sea Kelp  seasoning for zest! I also added a bunch of fresh cilantro while processing it. This is definitely one of my favorite hummus creations so far. 

And for fun, here's the adorable bento box I bought at a garage sale. It has all sorts of compartments and is so cute!  

Real Scramble, Mock Curry

Hello all! My working out and eating healthy is going well. My favorite workouts at the moment are the 1-on-1 series by Jackie Warner and pretty much any of Cindy Whitmarsh's butt-kicking routines. Ab-tastic!

Here are a few healthy meals from the week. I am following Eat To Live fairly closely again, but I do still indulge in a cup of coffee and a glass of wine most days. The salt issue is toughest, as going low-sodium can only be done well when you are basically making everything from scratch.

Thankfully, one of my favorite breakfasts is ETL-friendly- the tofu scramble! I always base off a Sarah Kramer recipe and then just add whatever I feel like.

Here's a healthy dinner...a mock curry atop a bed of quinoa. The curry was blended lentils for the base, then seasonings and other veggies like spinach and onions. Yummy!

Eating To Live

I am revisiting Eat To Live and working on making some healthy foods that are easy to pack for work lunches. 

Here's a yummy wrap using a sprouted grain tortilla and some plant-strong fillings! Greens, onion, mango, tomatoes, carrots, and more!

:)

Fajita Yum Yums

Score! Behold the possibilities of the clearance produce bin! I got fajita veggies, butternut squash, salad greens, and mushrooms at crazy cheap prices. 

All this went into some delicious fajitas in whole grain tortillas. 

I also revisited the Spanish Quinoa idea, this time using a recipe. It was sooo good! 

Crazy Sexy Diet Treats

Is it just me, or does everyone do the crap eating / healthy eating cycle? I tend to prepare the healthiest foods right after a stint with some doodoo-fied choices regarding food/fitness. Thankfully these little naughty episodes never last more than a day or two. 

Exhibit A: post Mother's Day binge nori rolls. These super healthy green rolls are from Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It!

I had green tea, Bragg's in place of soy sauce, and used brown rice to amp up the health factor. 

For dessert: I know this looks ooky, but it's delicious! Vanilla Chia Tapioca, also from CSD. 

 What are your favorite clean-up foods?

Happy Patties :)

Behold the deceptively simple brilliance of another recipe from Kittee!

This recipe is called Happy Patties, and they indeed made me happy. I dipped mine in ketchup and dangled my feet from my chair like a little kid. Happy :)

The recipe is here. Enjoy!

Ecolissa Review: Reveal Vegan Superstar Bag

Hello lovies! Today's post is a review of a product from the vegan and eco-friendly site, Ecolissa.com. 

Ecolissa specializes in women's clothing and accessories that are easy to wear, vegan, and eco-friendly. I really love that most of the choices have clean lines, nice colors, and a modern feel. 

I jumped at the chance to purchase this Reveal Vegan Superstar bag (at a discount, yes!) for review. (A serendipitous offer considering that our beloved cat Pumpkin decided to use the only fancy purse I've ever had, a big Matt & Nat beauty, for a litter box!). I am a purse fiend, but my tastes lean towards messenger bags and functional, simple totes. 

Here's the Internet version of this bag...kinda grown up. 

And here's my bag...I like that it can be dressed-down and is quite a great-looking but casual bag. I am also in luv with high-end vegan leather and this purse does not disappoint. The inside is beige lined with red, and pockets galore!

The bag is a good size, roomy but not crazily large. It's pretty without being all grossly girly, and it definitely is high-quality. 

I also really like the other Reveal products at Ecolissa, especially this purty wallet!

Check out Ecolissa, and enjoy this coupon code...no expiration! 20% off when you enter "eco20" at checkout. 

Here's my rendition of the bag in action...I paired it with a dress similar to this one, red Dr. Scholl's and all my gear for watching my mister play in a soccer tournament. Best Dressed for sure!

Soccer Day by Leslie Joseph Richman featuring vintage bags

Nautical dress
$56 - needsupply.com

Dr. Scholl dr scholls shoes
$49 - urbanoutfitters.com

Vintage bag
$40 - modcloth.com

Chain pendant
$95 - ice.com

Tom Ford metal sunglass
94 GBP - my-wardrobe.com

Willow Organic Cotton Blanket - 8307ob
$20 - babysupermall.com

Room Essentials Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Blue (26oz) : Target
$3.01 - target.com

What are your favorite brands for vegan bags & accessories?

Estate Sale Happies

Here are a few of my favorite estate sale treasures I've found lately! 

Great soap dish from Mexico!

Strange little creature necklace...I love it!

And...this beeeyootiful red tea/coffee set from Germany, dated 1957. I absolutely love it! (It looks even nicer without the masking tape :P)

Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine Project

Please watch this video, click the link, and become a supporter if you are able.

Fiesta Fiesta!

Burrito night, yay!! We had burritos made with vegetarian refried beans, veggies, and toppings. The tortillas are Ezekiel Sprouted Grain. I made Becky's Pico De Gallo from The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again!, which is a super house fave. 

I was really proud of myself for coming up with a side dish too! I love Spanish/Mexican rice, but I realize that nothing about it is good for me, except the taste! I took some leftover quinoa and added chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, etc., threw in some corn, and went for it! Yummy and healthy!

Cheers!

Sugar-Free Week: Day 3

I am grudgingly admitting that I feel about a thousand times better without the white stuff. I am calmer, more clear-headed, and more energetic. My skin looks better, and my coffee tastes pretty darn good unsweetened. 

I admit defeat! I can no longer justify my crazy sweet tooth. I still want some candy though. (BTW, Banging Body Basics with Madison Chase on Exercise TV rocked my world this morning! Whoohoo obliques!)

I ♥ This Band

Uh Huh Her, yay!

 I have been listening to Common Reaction a lot lately, and am excited to hear newer stuff too. 

It really doesn't hurt that the band mates are super stylish (nor does it hurt that I wanna appropriate all of Leisha Hailey's wardrobe items from the defunct L-Word).