More photos I captured from the best bridal shower ever. I know I’m impossibly late in sharing these but life is more hectic than usual. Still friends?
All images by me
Lonely Wife Project
Because my career, husband and three dogs don't keep me busy enough
Category Archives: Food
Busy Bee
Excuse my absence as of late. I’ve been incredibly busy forcing my dogs to pose for photos, taking pictures of flowers with my iPhone, and eating pumpkin bread. I promise to be better.
We Partied
Well I’ve determined that I don’t ever want to be a party planner. That shiz is hard so if that’s your line of work, I commend you. Our small party seemed huge in our teeny house, but we made it work and based on the empty bottles and our neighbors’ complaints, I think our guests had fun.We set up a full bar inside, beer tasting and cigar bar outside and passed around no frill hors d’oeuvres. We also had ice cream cake and chocolate peanut butter bars that everyone raved about.
I wish I could give you a visual, but I realized that when you host a party, it’s rude to expect your guests to wait around while you set up a tripod and take pictures. I didn’t even Instagram you guys! So just imagine it looked like this:
Happenings
While I was out:
- I celebrated the end of my cleanse with sangria.
- I celebrated the end of my cleanse with blackberry margaritas and a manicure.
- I walked off the sangria and margaritas with Dexter.
- I drank a gin martini to keep the celebration going.
- I napped away an entire Saturday.
It’s like I’m in college all over again.
If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sorry for the regurgitation.
Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
I should also mention these are vegan and gluten-free, but “vegan gluten-free blueberry banana buckwheat pancakes” is too long for the title of a post. Plus, I don’t want to scare off people who think vegan and gluten-free food tastes like shit.
Every few months, I become obsessed with a food and then I want to eat that food all the time. My recent obsession is pancakes. And since I can’t consume buttermilk on the reg, I decided I needed a healthier version. These pancakes are healthy so you definitely won’t get that fluffy, buttery, sugary taste. Instead, you get to eat whole grains and fruit. Exciting huh? Since I’m trying to remind myself how to eat healthy again, I better learn to become obsessed with vegan gluten-free blueberry banana buckwheat pancakes.
Images via myself
Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows
- 1/2 cup raw buckwheat groats (not kasha), ground into a flour
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 medium ripe banana, diced
- 1/2 cup blueberries
Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
In a blender, blend the buckwheat groats on high speed until a fine flour forms. Place into a large bowl. Now whisk in the rest of the dry ingredients (rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder).
Pour in the almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk the batter until no clumps remain.
Fold in the diced banana and scraped vanilla bean. If using fresh blueberries, mix them in now.
Lightly grease skillet. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto the preheated skillet. If using frozen blueberries, sprinkle on a heaping tablespoon of blueberries. Cook until many bubbles appear and then flip and cook for another couple minutes. Repeat for the other pancakes.
Mini Quinoa Patties and Cleanse Day 3
It’s day 3 of the cleanse and I feel amazing. My skin is glowing, my tummy is taut and I have so much energy. Just kidding. I feel like shit. The only positive so far is that the detox drink is starting to taste a lot like a jalapeno margarita.
Last week (before I was eating raw vegan) I made these mini quinoa patties. They are so freaking good. I ate them for lunch, dinner and in between lunch and dinner. I highly recommend.
Mini Quinoa Patties (adapted from Super Natural Every Day)
1 1/4 cooked quinoa, at room temperature
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup seasoned whole grain bread crumbs (I used garlic and herb)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Make small patties (around 2 inches in diameter, 1 inch in height), they don’t have to be perfect – just make small balls using your hands then gently flatten.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the patties and cook (covered) for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are deeply browned. Flip the patties and cook for 7 minutes, or until golden.
Cleanse Day 1
I’m cleansing you guys. I scoured the Internet until I found a doable detox program and the Four Elements Cleanse seems doable. I’ll eat high fiber fruits, veggies and grains and drink a mixture of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne pepper for the next 7-10 days. Easy peasy. Except I make everything extra difficult for myself. I overindulged this weekend so I’m starting off puffier than usual and craving a pretzel like a mofo.
It’s been three hours. I have a headache. I want a cup of coffee. I’m gagging over the detox drink. I’ll let you know how I’m feeling in a few days. Happy Monday!
Soft and Pretty
Christian Dior’s 2013 resort collection is exactly perfect isn’t it?
In other news, I need to do a cleanse you guys. My last failed attempt was 4 days on the Master Cleanse before I wanted to eat Poppy. So this time, I need some kind of detox that allows food. No juice bullshit. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
Summer Zucchini Linguine
This might be the easiest dinner I’ve ever thrown together so it’s definitely going to be a staple even though I pretend to swear off carbs Monday through Friday. To lessen my guilt, I go for whole wheat linguine although I’m guessing I’m effed regardless.
Photos via me
Recipe adapted from Sarah Raven’s Fresh from the Garden
2 large zucchini or other summer squash, coarsely grated
2 cloves of garlic
Red pepper flakes (however spicy you like it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Small pat of butter
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Any kind of pasta you desire
Place grated zucchini and a pinch of salt in colander and let it hang out while you make the pasta. Heat oil in large pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until aromatic (couple of minutes). Add pasta, zucchini, butter, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well and eat, preferably outdoors with wine.
